The Science Based Mutate
by Tari J. Deitrich
Summary: When Logan discovered little MewTwo in an abandoned lab, he knew she was a Science-Based Mutate meant for evil needs but the X-Men adopted her anyway and protected her. But when Niles Hudson, her creator, comes back to claim her, not even the X-Men are able to protect her from his dreams and desires. Now she has two choices: serve Niles . . . or die. Book 1
1. Prologue, A Mortal Playing God

_Hello fellow X-Men: Evolution & Pokemon fans. My name is Tari and I am here to astound you with a lovely mix between two totally different stories. Before we proceed into the first story, though there's some things I need to confess._

_I don't own either X-Men: Evolution or Pokemon. I just own the storyline. If you haven't heard of a specific person or thing, you must assume it is mine, unless stated otherwise. In that case, I will include some footnotes for you to look at. Also, some references in this story are from the actual show. Some characters, like MewTwo, for example, make appearances, too, but so will references to the Marvel Films.  
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_Without further ado, time to get on with the program. This chapter is a double chapter, meaning it's a prologue and a chapter. so, enjoy.  
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><p>Prologue<p>

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><p>It was dark and quiet in the infirmary when a blue, furry hand flicked on the halogen lamps; casting the beds and polished surfaces into illumination. Doctor Hank McCoy—also known as Beast by his friends—staggered into the room toward the back where a set of metal freezers were located. He replaced his jacket with a set of blue scrubs, washed his hands, and opened a freezer.<p>

Doc McCoy had not been looking forward to this day. In fact, he had been putting this chore off for some time. But he knew he had to do it soon while the body could be considered "fresh". He knew that one day he was going to have to dress _her_ and have her ready for a proper funeral. He just didn't think it would be so soon. Beast had witnessed the deaths of many of his comrades and he had prepared them all for burial. He didn't enjoy the idea of preparing one of his many friends; but with Mutants constantly out to kill each other and with Mutant fights happening all around the world, it was always up to another Mutant to make sure that his comrades were prepared with dignity and the utmost respect.

Beast stared down, sadly, at the pitiful bundle on the cold slab. Her cat-like face—though marred by five lacerations in both cheeks—looked peaceful in death. Her eyes, once a brilliant purple, now closed in eternal sleep. The slender arms laying at her sides with the three fingers curled inward toward her hips. The long legs splayed outward and the long, purple tail draped over her ankles. Her white fur shone frosty in the light and crackled as Beast lifted her from the slab in both arms and laid her on the embalming table.

After he had arranged her in the traditional embalming position, Beast took one last look at her face; stroking her immobile cheek with a claw.

"I'm sorry, Mew." He said, softly, sitting back on his stool. "I'm sorry for everything."

A noise caused Beast to look up. Standing in the doorway was Beast's son, Billy—who was better known as StormBeast to all who knew him. StormBeast never came downstairs to the morgue portion of the infirmary, so Beast was surprised to see him here now.

"Esbee! W—What brought you down here?" Beast asked, turning away and wiping his eyes.

StormBeast shrugged and approached the table. The fur on his cheeks was darker as though he had been crying too. He looked down at the dead Mutant before him and touched the bone-thin shoulder. "I just had to see MewTwo before you put her to rest."

Beast understood StormBeast and MewTwo had been somewhat close throughout some of their learning years. Granted there were occasions when the two would get on one another's nerves, but they were still good friends.

Beast opened a few drawers, snapped on a pair of latex gloves, and opened a bag holding a tube. He turned Mewtwo's head to the side, swabbed her neck with an alcohol wipe, and jabbed the hollow needle into the large, jugular vein. With MewTwo's blood beginning to drain, Beast went about getting the make-up ready while StormBeast sat on the extra stool. After a moment, StormBeast looked up and, in a trembling voice, posed the question he had been meaning to ask.

"How did this happen, da? Why was MewTwo killed?"

Beast turned away from the table with a bowl of mortician's putty and a palette knife. He placed a large glob on the scratches on Mew's cheek and smeared it around before answering his son's question.

"She was wanted by a man who could transform her into a weapon against Mutant-kind. He wanted her so bad, he was willing to have her killed so that no one else could have her."

Up until now, Beast had avoided looking at his son. Now that his blue eyes met StormBeast's, he could see that the boy was now thinking the same thing. They were both thinking about the day when they first found MewTwo in that abandoned factory three years ago.

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><p>Chapter One<br>A Mortal Playing God

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><p>Professor Charles Xavier, when asked about MewTwo, once called her "the strangest case of Mutant experimentation I'd ever seen." No one quite knew what to think of this profound statement on Xavier's part because no Mutant, to anyone's knowledge, had ever been referred to as a case within the walls of Xavier's School of Higher Learning. Xavier, not wanting to offend anyone—least of all, MewTwo—continued to explain without further prompting.<p>

MewTwo is like most Mutants in that her mutation occurred long after birth. However, she is unlike most Mutants in that she was made in a laboratory.

Kassandra Summers was ten-years-old when her parents decided to take a trip to Anchorage, Alaska with their three children. Everything was going fine until there was some engine problems and the plane went down. The kids survived and were placed in an orphanage. During that time, Scott—the eldest—hit puberty and his powers manifested; accidentally killing Kassie in the process.

Scott ran away from the orphanage for fear of being arrested and charged with murder (manslaughter at best). That was when he ran into Professor Xavier and became a part of Xavier's new school. Scott's younger brother, Alex, manifested years after being adopted by a Hawaiian family and decided not to join the X-men.

Kassie had been laid to rest and stayed in the ground for four years until someone disturbed her remains.

His name was James Gurton and he was a lackey for Hudson Genetics Corporation. The man who did all the dirty work, which also included fetching supplies for his boss's experiments. James took no part in the actual experiment, only in providing the material's necessary.

Gurton was hired by Hudson right out of high school. He was selected not because of his grade point average (a gorilla could have done better), but for the fact that he did what was asked of him. For the first six years, Gurton was faithful to his employer; showing up early for work, and staying on the job until it was completed. But, one day, Hudson sent Gurton on a strange errand.

"Jim, I need you to go to Boston Memorial and get me the body of Kassandra Alexis Summers."

"A body, sir?" Gurton asked. This was odd. Hudson had never asked for a body before. This sort of thing was unheard of! Gurton never thought Hudson would be the type of person to disrespect the dead.

Hudson looked up from reports he was reviewing and nodded. "Yes, a body, James. And not just any body. The body of Kassandra Alexis Summers." He waved a large, meaty hand at Gurton, indicating that he leave now and do the job.

"Sir, you know I don't question your orders no matter how strange they may be—but I'm not sure I understand why you want a body. Or why you'd want that body in particular." Gurton said.

Hudson fixed his gofer with a steely gaze. Then, after giving an unpleasant smile, he put aside his notes, interlaced his fingers, and said,

"Very well. I will explain." He indicated that Gurton be seated and didn't continue until the gofer had done so.

"My company does a variety of genetic experimentation that most people would call . . . unnatural. In fact, there has been a number of protesters on my doorstep against genetic experimentation. They believe this is going to be another incident just like the one Worthington Labs issue on Alcatraz [1]."

"Will it, sir?" Gurton asked.

He had heard all about Worthingon Labs and their experiments with a Mutant boy named Leech. Warren Worthington II made what was known as "The Cure" which was supposed to suppress the Mutant-X gene for good. At first, the cure was only offered to those that wanted it. But then, it was transformed into a weapon against any Mutants that threatened their cause.

The end result became a war between Mutants on Alcatraz Island; one side trying to kill the Cure's source, the other trying to protect him. A mess ensued that took years to clean up.

Gurton shuddered as he remembered the incident vividly in his mind.

"No, it will not." Hudson said, shaking his head reassuringly.

"That's good." Gurton breathed. "But I still don't understand what this has to do with a body."

"That is a very good question." Hudson said. "You see, I, too, have taken quite an interest in Mutant DNA. So much, in fact, that I decided to make my own Mutant."

Gurton gasped. "Sir, you do realize what sort of an impact this would have on the Mutant community? How many people will be against this?"

"Which is why we must keep this as quiet as possible." Hudson said. "And why I need that body."

"But why that particular body?" Gurton asked.

"Within the X-men, there is one Mutant who has a brother who is not an X-man but is a Mutant just the same. However, there were five children in this family. One was accidentally killed by her older brother when his powers manifested. The Mutant-X gene tends to run in families. If four of them have the gene, so should the third." Hudson said.

"But I thought you said she was dead!" Gurton exclaimed.

"She is dead! I need her DNA . . . her unmanifested X-gene to make this work!" Hudson said, standing up so abruptly that his office chair fell over. "I need her DNA to make my own Mutant."

"But why her in particular?"

"Her brothers and sister are powerful Mutants. All class 5 mutates."

"What do you intend to accomplish by making your own Mutant using deceased DNA?" Gurton asked this purely out of curiosity.

He had always wondered what Hudson Genetics Corporation actually did . . . seeing as how they never produced any products for resale, nor did they publish their research for other scientists to read. In fact, the work HGC did was only known by the higher-ups and was kept on a need-to-know basis.

"Are you trying to understand Mutants by making your own, or are you going to make a product to destroy the Mutant-X gene entirely?"

"That last one has already been done. You mentioned it yourself just a few minutes ago." Hudson reminded him.

Gurton nodded, though still afraid of Hudson's answer to his question.

"In a way, we are trying to understand Mutant DNA . . . what decides their powers or how they come to be Mutants."

Gurton relaxed a little, but he was soon to be just as tense. No sooner had Gurton left Hudson's office, then he found he had a partner. A big, burly Mutant who's name was Sabertooth and he was known by no other name.

Now, Gurton had been around Mutants all his life. He had a few Mutant cousins that he got along with. Gurton also attended school with Mutants. Some were scarier than others. But none bothered Gurton as much as Sabertooth did.

Sabertooth was a wild, mean, thickset monster—monster could only be the word for what he was. He was huge with a hairy, muscular body made all the more impressive by the leather-strap uniform he wore—something that left nothing to the imagination. A squarish head sat upon a brutish neck and was surrounded by a thick, light-brown mane and poorly maintained beard. He had yellowish, feral eyes, ugly fangs, and black claws.

Gurton (who was smallish and nearly ratlike in appearance) hated working with Sabertooth who seemed to believe his only goal in life was to harass Gurton or make his life all the more miserable. Sabertooth freaked Gurton out like there was no tomorrow, and his fury seemed to have no limits.

"Hurry up, why don't you!" Sabertooth called down to Gurton as the smaller man dug out the grave. "It's going to rain soon and I'm sure you don't want to be smelling me all the way back to HGC." Sabertooth's gruff voice held an edge of disdain for the little human.

Gurton looked up, shovel in hand—contemplating the wisdom of using the tool on the big, mean Mutant—at Sabertooth who towered a good nine feet above him. His vision slightly obscured by the poncho hood he was wearing. Gurton's jaw tightened as did his grip on the shovel handle.

"You could help, you know." He snapped, hoping that Sabertooth wouldn't take offense and suddenly disembowel him. Despite his bold words, Gurton was a coward.

"What, and ruin a good manicure like this? Do you know who much this cost me?" Sabertooth held out a large, hand, palm facing him, and seemed to examine each claw one-by-one.

"Don't know, don't care." Gurton retorted. He knew he was pushing his luck.

"I'm sure you don't." Sabertooth said, folding his arms once more over his burly chest. "Just finish the hole. You've got another three feet to go."

Gurton valued life too much to argue. He continued digging until his shovel hit something hard. Working quickly, he dug around the metallic object and made room for Sabertooth to drag it out.

Once finished, Sabertooth hauled Gurton out by his arm, jumped in, and hefted the box as though it weighed nothing. He carried it to the bed of the truck, dropped it in, and covered the box with a tarp. Gurton was already in the driver's seat and had the truck started by the time Sabertooth hopped in.

The distance from the cemetery to HGC was short enough that the two men could've walked. Thus, it didn't take long to drop the body off at the lab basement.

Gurton watched nervously as the lab workers pried the seal apart with crowbars; jumping as a loud _BANG!_ reverberated around the room. Cranks raised the lid, exposing the coffin's occupant.

The coffin was made from steel the color of the ocean at early morning. The inside was covered with cream-silk cushioning the youthful body within. A faded image stitched into the head section of the lid revealed a lively, brown-haired girl being hugged—and hugging in return—her four siblings.

Gurton peeked over the coffin's edge of view the body inside and his heart sank. She looked so young. Only ten, did Hudson say?

He jumped back as two techs lifted the body from the casket and laid it out on the exam table. Gurton watched them for a while when a hand on his shoulder made him turn around.

"Here." Hudson said, shoving a briefcase against Gurton's chest. "Now, get out!"

Gurton stared levelly at his boss. "You are going to return her to her grave, aren't you?"

Hudson gave Gurton a reassuring smile. "Of course." He said. His grin disappeared once Gurton left and he turned back to his workers."Alright, let's begin."

-X-

Three years ago, after the Worthington Labs incident, a bill was passed deeming Mutant experimentation as illegal. Since HGC primary function _was_ genetic experimentation on Mutants, Hudson's workers were afraid that HGC would be out of business. However, Hudson waved it off and said, "We'll do what we can."

Hudson had been sure that the bill wouldn't pass. People were too afraid of Mutants not to allow research to be don on them. He didn't count on the fact that the Mutant community made up one-third of America's population. Mutants were all against experiments on their own kind and half of America's human population was against the issue as well. Once the bill passed, Hudson only saw this as a challenge. Which was fine. Hudson loved a challenge.

About the same time, Hudson came in possession of a Mutant skeleton discovered in Egypt by a liaison. The liaison described the remains as being nearly two-thousand years old and resembled a human with a cat's skull. He continued to tell Hudson the the locals described it as being a god-like deity with powers that only the gods should possess.

Hudson, being as power-hungry as he was, asked that the remains be smuggled in. So, they were smuggled in, disguised as the body of a long dead American soldier.

The skeleton did, indeed have an interesting structure. The limbs and spine were long. On each hand were three fingers and on each foot were two toes. There was a long tail with eighteen, flexible segments. The skull was long and shaped like a large house cat.

Hudson stroked the large braincase; imagining what he could do with a monster such as this.

Now, as Hudson looked at Kassie's body, he knew what he could do, and gave the order for it to be done. He was going to splice Kassie and Mew's DNA together to make a new Mutant. Hudson also had a few modifications of his own to incorporate. Modifications, he felt, would make _it_ a more powerful Mutant than even Charles Xavier.

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><p>[1]Worthington Labs- X-Men 3: The Last Stand<p> 


	2. Wolverine's Find

_Chapter Two is where some of the action is. It's where most of it comes together._

_Disclaimer: I own nothing. Unless you haven't heard of person or thing, assume it's mine._

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><p>Chapter Two<br>Wolverine's Find

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><p>Professor Charles Xavier was worried. Although this wasn't abnormal—he was usually concerned for the well-being of his many students—the older students were starting to wonder.<p>

Xavier was a young man when he started Xavier's School for Higher Learning. Being a Mutant himself and knowing how society viewed his kind, was the whole reason why the Institute was started. That, and it gave Mutants a place to learn control over their powers in a non-judgmental environment.

Some of the older Mutants, however, became the elite known as the X-Men and Xavier was the head. But Xavier didn't want all the glory of a leader to himself, so he taught his oldest students leadership skills. Among those trained were Cyclops, Storm, and Phoenix. They were the team leaders. Exactly the kind of people Xavier needed.

Xavier kept a watchful eye over the Mutant community using a powerful machine known as Cerebro, which enhanced his psychic abilities. Up until recently, the Mutant world was quiet except for the occasional manifestation of a new Mutant. Xavier graciously welcomed these Mutants into his home if they so desired to come. Xavier was pleased with the quiet and could rest easy knowing that there was no problems. But, one morning, Xavier was troubled by a sudden surge in power. One that surpassed his own powers in strength as well as psychic capabilities. He couldn't see the Mutant and often wondered if it was hiding from him. And, he thought, it was a new Mutant with an extraordinary amount of power. Powers, he felt, that might mean the end of Mutant kind as he knew it.

The strength of this new Mutant was so blaring that Xavier couldn't stand do use Cerebro for fear that it would affect his own mental abilities.

-X-

Hudson was very pleased indeed with the experiment's outcome. The DNA matched perfectly and the result now came in the form of a Mutant fetus that he lovingly called MewTwo. MewTwo was his brain-child, his baby, the only experiment that actually worked and Hudson was happy that thee Mutant mad it though the prenatal stages of growth.

Many was the time that he could be seen in the lab basement, staring at his creation in its tank of amniotic fluid. He checked on it daily, watching its progress as it grew, and imaging just how powerful this creature would be.

"I don't know what you were planning to accomplish with this project, Niles."

Hudson turned around and saw Sabertooth walking toward him. Sabertooth never came down to the basement and Hudson was immediately suspicious of the big Mutant's actions.

"Accomplish? I don't know what you mean, Sabertooth. I only wanted to make a Mutant of my own." He turned back to the tank and pressed his fingers against the glass. "And it has been done most successfully."

"Niles, I've seen something like this happen before. My former employer, William Stryker, did the same thing you did. He made a Mutant using the DNA of six Mutants. This one was created to be a weapon." Sabertooth said. He stared at his boss's face, watching the man's expressions. "Is yours to be the same as Deadpool [1]?"

Hudson turned to face Sabertooth, disappointed but decided not to show it.

"You know the signs a little too well, Sabertooth." He said, patting the Mutant's muscular arm. "I did created this Mutant to be a weapon. But only against Mutants who are against me." He gestured to MewTwo who was still suspended in the tank, now close to being in the neonatal stages of development. "What do you think?"

Sabertooth looked at the Mutant. It was an impressive Mutant with four arms instead of two, a human-like body, too few fingers and toes, cat-like head, and white and purple fur.

"I think it'll be a threat to any Mutant you pit it against. I must warn you, though. Science-Based Mutates are not known to live very long. You'll only have it for a few years."

"That will be long enough." Hudson said, quietly; his forehead pressed against the glass. "Anything else?"

"Yeah." Sabertooth pointed over his shoulder up the stairwell. The motion itself coupled with a terrible smile and gleeful twinkle in his feral eyes sent a feeling of dread in Hudson's stomach. "The cops are here. I've managed to ask that they remain upstairs while I looked for you."

Sabertooth laughed inwardly at the expression on Hudson's face. It was an expression of fear and anger. The very things Sabertooth loved to see on someone's face. And, there was nothing Sabertooth liked more than to deflate Hudson's ego. Hudson was the kind of person who believed he was above the law—that he could commit some sort of heinous crime and get away with it.

Hudson stared at Sabertooth's face; trying to decide if the big Mutant was joking. Obviously he wasn't. Hudson's nervousness skyrocketed at the sound of pounding feet. Within seconds, Hudson was forced up against the wall and his hands cuffed behind his back.

"Niles J. Hudson, you are under arrest!"

-X-

_Logan stood in the downstairs laboratory, in full uniform, staring down at the trundle bed before him. He looked around. Besides the bed, there was a tank damaged from something trying to get out. Glass shards lay on the floor and each shard shone as though damp. Hoses and tubes were strewn everywhere._

_A movement on the bed caught Logan's attention and he watched as the edge of the sheets lifted to reveal a pair of bright, purple eyes._

"Don't hurt me!"

_Logan was struck by the voice that touched his mind._

"_Who are you?" He asked._

_A slender, three-fingered hand came out of the blankets and touched his arm just as a banging jerked him awake._

"Mr. Howlett?"

Logan stared up at the ceiling of the hotel room; slightly overcome by the appearance of a Mutant he didn't even know . . . or had ever even seen before.

There was another timid rap at the door, and Logan got out of bed, stretched, and opened the door to reveal a youngish housekeeping girl with a cartload of food; Logan's breakfast ordered just the way he liked it.

The girl curtsied, politely, and touched the cart. "Good morning, Mr. Howlett. I brought you your breakfast just as you requested."

Logan smiled and opened the door wide enough to permit her. She walked in, stripped the bed of the sheets, and put fresh, clean ones on. Then, she left Logan in peace.

Logan ate the six strips of bacon, two eggs—cooked over-easy in bacon fat—two pieces of sour-dough toast with butter and raspberry jelly; downing it all with a glass of orange juice, chocolate milk, and 2% white milk.

Over breakfast, Logan made the decision to leave the hotel and head back to the Xavier Institute. Logan was always welcome there. He was a valuable asset to the school, although he was never quite considered an X-Man. So, he packed up his clothes, paid his fees, and left on his motorcycle.

Just as he crossed town toward the Institute, he had a feeling and stopped—right outside a laboratory labeled Hudson Genetics Corporation. The building looked like it was empty which was strange because it was now considered normal business hours.

Logan new who the building belonged to, as well as who Niles Julius Hudson was. Logan smirked.

_So, you were finally caught doing something illegal, huh?_ Logan thought. _About time somebody arrested your law-breaking ass._

He leaned forward and gripped the handlebars, his foot coming up to the footrest. Then, another sensation caused him to stop from pushing off. A sensation that came from the building and tickled Logan's sixth sense. The hair on the back of his neck prickled. And he knew better than to ignore something like this.

Logan dropped the kickstand and leaned the bike over. He whipped the chinstrap from its circles, lifted the mirror-visored helmet from his head. His nostrils flared and an animalistic growl escaped his throat.

_Sabertooth!_

The feral Mutant's scent was unmistakable. Logan knew that scent anywhere. It was spicy, thick, and nostril clogging. Logan had had a few encounters with Sabertooth and described him as mean-spirited, sadistic, and egotistical with the fighting style of a cougar. Despite his size, it was difficult to keep a good hold on Sabertooth—his body was all smooth and solid muscle with not a millimeter of fat anywhere on him.

Sabertooth was a killer. An assassin for hire. Sometimes, not even for hire. And he was no slouch when it came to covering his tracks either. There were two ways to get Sabertooth's help. One, give him a task with a target that would pique his interest. Two, make sure you had enough money to pay him off. Hiring Sabertooth was expensive to even think about. You would be better off buying a 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa than hiring Sabertooth as it was never a guarantee he would take the job.

Logan took another whiff for good measure. Sabertooth's scent was stale. Only a few weeks old at best. Logan smelled humans, too. And cops, and other vehicles. Then, there was another scent he didn't know. A Mutant—that much he did know. And it was fresh.

And coming from the building.

Logan's cell phone buzzed at his hip inside the pocket of his leather jacket. Logan checked the read-out. Xavier. The man's mind-reading abilities stumped Logan, as the Mutant was just about to call his old friend.

"Charles?" Logan said, with the smallest hint of a grin.

"Wolverine. It's been a long time. I'm glad to hear your voice." Charles Xavier's polite voice edged with a New England Accent said.

"Yeah it has, Charles, and I've been pretty busy lately. How're the kids?" Logan said.

"The students are wonderful. Kitty and Rogue miss you, you know." Charles said. His tone suggested the girls weren't the only ones who missed Logan. "We've been wondering if you were planning on making any trips to come visit us soon?"

"Well, truth be told, Charles, I was actually coming your way now." Logan said.

"Was?" Apparently Xavier hadn't missed Logan's usage of the past tense.

"I'm standing in front of HGC right now." Logan admitted. "Looks like it's abandoned. Doesn't surprise me any. Niles Hudson was quite the crooked old man."

"Yes. He was arrested for illegal genetic experimentation only a few weeks ago. Sources say he was a month into the project and that it was almost finished when they detained him. There was never any mention of what that project was and whether or not it has been completed. Though, I'm sure it hasn't."

"Well, from where I'm standing, there's a foul odor in the air. I'm going to check it out. I'll let you know if I find anything." Logan said.

"Acknowledged. Be careful. And use the communicator I've given you." Charles said.

"Right." Logan said. With that, he hung up, stuffed the cell back into his pocket, and dug around in his rucksack for the said communicator.

When the X-men first began, the communicators looked like air-pressure gauges you see in cars or for bicycles. Now, Xavier was no slob when it came to following the new technological crazes. Xavier adapted Blue Tooth earpieces into radio communicators capable of reaching any X-Men in the area, or even the institute at any degree of distance.

Logan used his communicator on occasion, except when he left the institute to roam the country on his own. Logan was not one to be caged up in one place for long. But the Institute always had a place for him should he ever decide to come back. For that reason, Logan had Charles on speed-dial, a suit with his name on it, and a radio.

Logan slipped the earpiece over his ear and turned it down to a frequency some would consider below a whisper, but it was just right for his sensitive hearing.

"Wolverine to Prof. Wolverine to Prof. Over." He said.

"Prof here." Xavier said. "Go ahead."

"Good. My radio still works." Logan said. _What a relief!_ "I'm heading into the building now. I'll keep you posted the whole time I'm there."

"Acknowledged." Xavier said. "Proceed with caution."

"Don't worry about me, Prof. I'm indestructible, remember?"

"That doesn't mean you shouldn't be careful." Xavier pointed out.

True. _Shit. If I don't do this right, I'm going to get another lecture._

"Alright, I"m going in." Logan said.

To make it less inconspicuous, Logan hid the bike behind some bushes and tried the back door. Damn! A metal claw jutted out from between his middle and ringer fingers. He inserted the blade into the lock, turned it to unlock, and slipped in.

The building was a severe mess, like it had been abandoned in a hurry. The floor was littered with trash. Same with tables and desks. The labs still had chemicals in test tubes. All proof they were given no time to clean up before being shoved out the door.

"Logan, what do you see?" Xavier asked over the radio.

"Not much to see, Charles." Logan said. He went on to describe the exactness of what he did see. He poured through the messy stacks of papers on one of the desks and briefly read them. "Looks like they were trying to build some kind of . . . weapon. Question is, a weapon for whom?"

"Not for whom, Logan. For _what."_ Charles politely corrected. "Niles Hudson is a narcissist. He's egotistical. He doesn't care for anyone but himself. Obviously the weapon would be for him. But, that still leaves the for what question unanswered."

"Yeah." Logan grumbled in agreement.

His head jerked upright at a noise in the basement.

"Logan!" Charles' normally calm voice carried a hint of worry. "Logan, I sense something in your vicinity. It—it's strong. Even stronger than me. I—I can't concentrate. It's too powerful."

"Close your mind off, Prof. I'll keep in touch." Logan said.

"Right. Proceed with caution." The professor said. His voice strained from keeping the power at bay.

Logan found the entrance to the basement and carefully descended the stairs with nary a sound. At the top of the step, the basement smelled dank and musty laced with another smell he didn't recognize. A chemical of sorts, and the smell got stronger and stronger the further down he went until it got to the point where Logan had to go back up to the lab and put on a mask to ward off the smell. The mask helped, but it didn't keep the smell completely out.

The basement had been converted into a lab larger than the one upstairs. Logan surmised the smaller lab was where the testing took place. This one was where the bigger stuff happened.

Computers, tanks, wires, cables, cabinets full of supplies. The lab was a wreck. Wires and cables littered the damp floor and broken glass from an exploded tank created a minefield for anyone dumb enough to venture in. Computer screens were cracked and towers were smashed. Only one terminal was intact and the desk it sat upon was damp with one drawer ajar. Logan opened the drawer and found a cache of memory sticks and floppy disks. He took those, unplugged the one undamaged tower from its wall, and put them both aside—he would take them to Professor Xavier and see what he thinks. Then, he looked around for another indicator of what Niles Hudson was up to.

"Wolverine, report!" Xavier said.

"I've got some stuff you might be interested in." Logan said.

"Acknowledged. Do you see the Mutant I've been sensing?"

"Not yet." Logan said. "I'll keep l—"

Suddenly, a new scent tickled his nose. It was the same scent he smelled outside. The smell was stronger here; barely disguised by the musty dankness flooding Wolverine's senses. And it was coming from a little trundle bed shoved against one wall. There was a lump in the middle of the rumpled sheets. . . .

. . . that was moving.

"Logan?" Xavier asked.

"I'll be right with you."

Three metal knives slid out from between Logan's knuckles. He slowly approached the bed with nary a sound. Logan poised his right over the lump and, with his left, whipped the blankets back to reveal the strangest-looking Mutant Logan had ever seen.

And Logan had seen quite a bit in the three-hundred years he had been around.

"Wolverine?" Xavier asked, worry edging his tone, again.

"I think I found what you were looking for, Charles." Logan said. "And I think it'll interest you."

* * *

><p>[1]Deadpool- X-Men Origins: Wolverine<p> 


	3. Questions

_Hey guys. Sorry about the long wait. I've kinda been writing this chapter off and on but I've also been distraced. 1. I've got a job now so chapter posting will be less frequent than usual. 2. a couple of my other fanfictions (really only one) has since caught my attention and I've been working on getting that one finished. It's not finished nor is it even close to being finished yet._

_okay, a couple of disclaimers. You know I don't own either X-Men or MewTwo. I only own some of the modifications to MewTwo. One other thing, one of my readers pointed out that "MewTwo is a guy". actually, that's not true. I'm pretty sure it said in the movie that MewTwo is male, but the Pokemon Wikia lists "him" as "genderless". My MewTwo is also genderless but "it" answers to feminine titles. Remember guys, this is MY fanfict. You don't like it, i give you permission to rewrite it to suit your own tastes. you can even make MewTwo a male if you really really want to but that's up to you. Think you could do better?  
><em>

* * *

><p>Chapter Three<br>Questions

* * *

><p>"<em>Don't hurt me."<em> The creature said, its voice loud and clear in his head.

Logan lowered his fist to his hip, his hazel eyes on the creature's vivid purple ones which stood out on its white, furry face. Its head was shaped like that of a house cat, only bigger and flatter with only slits for nostrils and thin line where its mouth should be. There were two ears on the top of its head and its head sat on a slender neck with a second neck traveling from the back of its skull to a spot between its shoulder blades. Its body was slender and every bone was visible through its white, furry skin. Four slender arms were curved protectively around its body and each hand ended with three fingers. The hips were large And so were the two legs which ended in two-toed feet. A purple tail flicked around its feet.

"I'm not going to hurt you." Logan said, his eyes still on its eyes—eyes, re realized, were the same ones from his dream. In fact, this room was from his dream, too.

The creature relaxed, its twelve fingers uncurling from around its ankles. Logan slowly eased itself onto the bed, right beside its feet. It sat up, alertly, And stared at him.

"How long have you been here?" Logan asked.

One of the creature's lower arms reached out to touch Logan's hand, hesitated, then flattened against his knuckles. Logan's eyes closed without permission, And images flashed in his mind. The sun and moon traded places in the sky twice.

"Two days." Logan said. "You've been here two days."

The creature nodded.

"How did you get here?"

Another image of the creature burst from the tank, the feeling for its need for freedom powerful in his mind. It dragged its wet, clumsy body to the bed and crawled into the covers. Confusion replaced the freedom, and hunger appeared soon after, replacing the confusion.

"Are you still hungry?" Logan asked.

Another nod.

"Do you know what your purpose is?"

This time, a head shake.

Logan gave a small snort of mirth. "Neither do I." He said.

They were quiet, then "I have a friend named Charles Xavier. He's a Mutant, just like you and I are and he helps people like us. Now, he'd like me to take you in to meet him."

The creature cocked its head at him. "_Mutant?"_ It played with the word's syllables and pronounced each letter like it was learning a new word.

_Maybe it is._ Logan realized.

"_What is a Mutant?"_

Logan struggled to explain what it was that made them different from other people but failed at it, horribly. He possessed the mentality of a soldier and an animal, not a scientist. Nor did he know the dictionary definition to the word either or the specifics to why it happens. Instead, he resorted to a different answer.

"My friend would be better able to explain it."

"Logan? Who are you talking to?" Xavier asked in Wolverine's ear.

_Shit! I totally forgot about him!_

"Uh, sorry Charles. I got a little sidetracked." He said. "I did, however, find the thing that has you on edge. A Mutant. It was born two days ago."

"That's when my headaches started." Xavier mused. "And when Cerebro's sensors picked up the presence of a Mutant manifestation."

"Permission for me to bring it to you." Logan said.

"Granted." Xavier said without a moment's hesitation. No doubt, he was curious about this Mutant as well. Logan had to admit, he was too.

-X-

"Well, whaddaya know!" Dr. Hank "Beast" McCoy said, circling around the little creature now sitting on his examination table.

Aside from Beast and the baby Mutant, Logan and Professor Xavier were also present. Some members of the X-Men gathered outside the doorway; pushing to see the thing whose mental capacities outmatched the professor's.

"What's that supposed to mean, Doc?" Logan grumbled. He had nonchalantly leaned against the wall with both powerful arms folded over his thick chest.

Beast rubbed his chin, thoughtfully peering over his spectacles at the wonder Logan presented him with.

"This is the first working case of a Science-based Mutate I've ever seen. Usually SBM's were already Mutants that have been modified. But this one—you say it was grown _inside_ the lab?"

"That's what it showed me." Logan said.

"What do you mean it 'showed' you?" Xavier asked, steepling his fingers in front of his face.

"It touched me and I saw pictures in my head—images of its birth—all accompanied by what it was feeling at that time."

"Fascinating!" Beast said with a huge grin on his blue, hairy features. "Photographic telepathy accompanied by emotion. Was it seen with absolute clarity?"

"About as clear as a rain-streaked window." Logan said. "I could only guess I saw what it could see at the time."

"Yes. There is that possibility." Beast said. He circled the little Mutant again. Its head and eyes followed his movements perfectly. "What do you think, Professor?"

"Yes, I think that is a great possibility." The professor said. "We'll have to learn more about it. Hank, you learn what you can about it here while I learn what I can about it from the data Logan brought us. Call me if you need me."

Without waiting for a response, Xavier rolled his chair out of the room. The creature watched him leave, then touched Beast's hand with a question.

"_He doesn't like me, does he?"_

"Of course he likes you!" Beast said, ruffling its head, fondly. "He just doesn't know what to do with you yet! You're a mystery to him and to us. And, he's sensitive to psionic pulses. Quite frankly, you're putting out a lot of them. It will take some time before you learn not to put out so much of them and for him to get used to you and learn to close off his mind to those pulses."

"_Oh."_ The creature said, without touching Beast. It looked away and prepared itself to be examined.

-X-

"What was all that about, Professor?" Scott Summers, AKA Cyclops, asked. He and Ororo, Storm, followed close behind the professor's electric wheelchair and Scott was more than prepared to chew his teacher out over his behavior in the infirmary. "Why were you so rude to that little Mutant in there?"

Xavier didn't answer right away. He was, instead, nursing a headache while trying to close his mind off to the heavy, mental pulses he could still feel. Both caused him to be something he wasn't: cold and aloof, on edge. Worried about admitting a possibly dangerous Mutant. But he couldn't condemn it unless it _had_ done something dangerous; something that could result in the deaths of his students. And with it having been born in a laboratory belonging to Niles Julius Hudson—a well-known Mutant-hater—Xavier could only be led to believe this poor creature belonged to a man who would love nothing more than to destroy every single Mutant in existence. And what better way to commit Muticide than with a powerful Mutant that could surpass even the greatest mutants in existence today.

_But who would be responsible for killing the killer? How short a leash did Hudson plan to keep on it?_

"Professor, this isn't like you."

Ororo's quiet, gentle voice penetrated Xavier's thoughts. He looked up into Storm's vivid blue eyes. Eyes, he knew were abnormal for someone of African descent.

"I know and I will apologize very soon. I'm just concerned is all." Xavier said. He motioned to the computer tower and the box of memory disks and his students took them and followed their teacher to his office.

"About what, Professor?" Cyclops asked.

"That Mutant belongs to Niles Hudson. I know what that man is like. He hates us. For him to make a Mutant . . . I can only imagine what dastardly plans he could possibly want with it."

"What's that supposed to mean, Professor?" asked Storm.

"Hudson has only two interests: power and money. He has lots of money and a thriving business—well, had a thriving business. But while he has the power to make life as well as to take it, Hudson's power also comes in through fear. If this Mutant is as powerful as I think it is, then Hudson would have the entire Mutant community in fear and chaos. Such an uproar will be dangerous to us all."

Cyclops and Storm looked at each other. "So, what should we do, Professor?" Cyclops asked.

"We should wait and see. If this Mutant is a threat to the Mutant world, and if it can begin to understand the difference between right and wrong, good and evil." Professor Xavier said.

"And if it can't?" Cyclops put in.

Xavier's face appeared grave. "Then we must destroy it. Though I must admit I do not truly like that choice."

Cyclops and Storm didn't like that option either. The three of them remained fairly silent. Each in their own thoughts about the young Mutant. Storm thinking the young one was probably old enough to learn the differences of good-evil, right-wrong. Cyclops wondering how to destroy something that strong. And the professor started on his research and was astonished by what he saw.

-X-

Beast snapped on a pair of rubber gloves, smiling sweetly at the young Mutant so as not to worry it. "I'm just going to run a few tests just to figure out what you are." He said. "Don't be afraid."

"_I'm not afraid."_ It said.

"Good." Beast said. He gently lifted the Mutant babe to his hip and carried it to an x-ray machine. There, he set it down on the table and let it stretch out, both sets of arms crossed at his abdomen. "I'm going to take a few some x-rays—pictures—of your insides. This won't hurt a bit."

"_Okay."_ It said.

The bed retracted into the chamber and the machine came alive with a gentle thrumming sound. Beast watched the read-out on the screen and was greatly astonished by everything he saw. Its entire skeletal structure was very different from that of a normal Mutant. In fact, the structure was so different, Hank wrote it off as none-human and switched the machine off. Then, he performed ultrasounds and ran a brain scan on it. The entire procedure went well until Beast wanted to do one last test.

From the big, metal cabinet, he came up with a lancet, a square sheet of paper, and a small Petri dish. Then, he took one of its hands, exposed one finger, and held the lancet over the digit.

"I'm going to take a small sample of blood." He said.

It blinked. _"Why?"_

"Blood is the best way to discover the health of a person. We might be able to discover who you are."

Beast squeezed the button on the lancet and, no sooner had the needle pierced its skin, then Beast was flung backwards against he wall by an orb of black energy.

"Dr. McCoy!" Said Phoenix, rushing to help her friend to his feet. Until then, she, too, had been keeping a distance from the babe as she, too, was sensitive to psionic impulses. Though, not near as sensitive to bursts as Xavier, the babe was giving her quite the headache.

"Whoa. Somebody take note of that!" Beast said, enthusiastically.

Somehow, Phoenix didn't feel the same way.


	4. Purposes

_Alright, this chapter has been written for the last couple of weeks. I've been meaning to update it but, in all actuality, work has taken over my life. i'm only working part time, but the 8-hours-a-day-4-days-a-week thing is enough. oh, good news, i've had this job for two months now which is a great relief to me. i love my job and i love my bosses.  
><em>

_okay, a couple of disclaimers. You know I don't own either X-Men or MewTwo. I only own some of the modifications to MewTwo. Also, there are some references to X-Men: Last Stand in here. and the anti-mutant virus i mentioned is the Legacy Virus. ONE MORE THING: i have a couple of references to body parts. in particular, sexual body parts like sphincter and genitalia, nothing major or erotic (if it was erotic, this would be m). as this is a teen story, and i know how teans act when they hear these words, i ask that you be professional about this. i was a teen myself at one time and i know the awkwardness of hearing those words. i used them as scientific_ _basis only. so, i ask that you not snort or giggle about this when you see it._

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><p>Chapter Four<br>Purposes

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><p>The contents of Hudson's lab computer had proven most helpful. Professor Xavier scanned through hours of information. Most of it was superficial stuff: finance records, employment history, employees on the payroll, and the like. While that was all well and good, Xavier was only interested in the Mutant currently in the infirmery.<p>

_Where are the records on you, my little friend? Xavier thought, pulling out a flash drive and flipping it aside. He selected another one and plugged it into the USB port._

He waited a few minutes while the computer scanned the contents of the drive. Then he opened a window and searched though the various folders. In one folder entitled "Journals", Xavier found several months worth of entries, all stuffed away in more folders, each titled with a month. Xavier perused the folders until he found one journal entitled "Subject Perogative". Curiosity got the better of him and Xavier opened it with his word processor.

**Subject: **Genetic Experimentation; Project 48  
><strong>Company: <strong>Hudson Genetics Corporation, HGC  
><strong>Overseer: <strong>Niles Hudson, Sc.D. [1]; Blaine [2] Calhoon, Ph.D. [3], Sc.D.  
><strong>View: <strong>To establish an understanding of Mutants with the Human culture

The rest of the document was written in what Xavier had come to call "business code". It was written as a presentation for other businesses in a way only other business men could understand. But Xavier understood it plentily enough, having written quite a few entries like this himself before. He scrolled through the document, marvelling at the sheer genius of Niles Hudson, who described his efforts of creating a Mutant to be a means of understanding. But Hudson completely disliked Mutants. To him, their very existence was one that went against creation and the views of God—Hudson was no holy man, openly proclaiming himself agnostic, but he shared this view with everyone who asked of him.

Xavier leaned back against his electric wheelchair as he reread the last sentence.

"**Mutants have been living amongst us for many centuries now, hiding in plain sight and masquerading as us for a great deal of their lives. Through this experiment, I hope to learn about them and the similarities they share. I hope to learn whether or not a Mutant can be assimilated into the human culture or if they are dangerous to the entire human existence."**

Xavier shook his head. How so like Hudson this sounded. Both a researcher and a business man. Yet, he had the gall to lump Mutants together into a category. Mutants were just like humans in their own way. Some were dangerous to society and others weren't. But, to Niles Hudson, the idea of a good Mutant in the world, one who wanted to live in society as an equal and be accepted, was laughable.

Xavier nursed a growing headache. He knew this wasn't research, though Niles had tried so hard to convince the others as much. So, what was it? What was the purpose of the infant Mutant now sitting in the infirmery? Surely the babe had powers that could overwhelm Niles! Possibly even destroy him if it so desired!

_Destroy?_

Xavier sat bolt upright. Working quickly, he switched ot of the business letter and perused the various entries. All were typed out in a more understandable format, worded in a harsher candor that sounded more like the Niles Hudson Xavier knew. Hudson raved on and on about "idiot workers" and "damn, ignorant, klutzy scientists who should never have earned their degrees" and the like. The only time Hudson ever got excited about anything was when he was talking about the experiment . . . a test tube baby Mutant he lovingly named MewTwo.

"Mew_Two_?" Xavier said, aloud; staring at the name.

He wasn't mistaken. The word "two" was, indeed, capitalized which could only mean one thing: the babe was a clone. If that was the case, then where was the original? The thought it was running around loose in public sent chills down Xavier's spine.

He kept reading and found out the original had died many years ago. Nearly a couple thousand years ago. Hudson had extracted "Mew's" DNA from its remains—which had been found in the deserts of Egypt—and used human DNA to fill in the blanks.

Xavier was, again, taken aback. Human DNA? He didn't use his own, did he? Futher reading answered Xavier's question. Niles hadn't used his own. He had, instead, used the DNA of a girl who had died only a few years ago; extracting her remains from the burial plot nearby. Xavier couldn't believe Hudson would stoop so low to desicrate a grave to get what he wanted.

_Whose grave did he disturb?_ Xavier wondered.

He back-traced thoughthe data until he found the name: Kassandra Alexis Summers.

Xavier frowned. He knew of young Kassie, though none of the Summers siblings would talk about her. No doubt, Kassie had the Mutant-X gene, just like her brothers and sister did. But for Hudson to disturb her grave and defile her corpse like that . . . it was despicable! Worst yet, Xavier had yet to decide whether or not to tell Scott, Kitty, and Kurt of Kassie's apparent resurrection as a Mutant clone. Not just as a clone, but as a double clone. Xavier knew how Scott would react to this news. Scott would yell and scream and use harsh words to describe Hudson's character—not that Xavier could blame this studen of his. Kurt and Kitty would be in shock that someone would defile their sister's grave. The would all want to know why it happened.

"Why, indeed?" Xavier said, putting his fingertips sagely to his lips. "What was the point to all this, Dr. Hudson? Why choose Kassie's grave over all the others? Surely there were plenty of Mutants in that graveyard to choose from, yet he choose Kassie. Why?"

To find an answer, Xavier dove deep into his research. The more and more he read, the more appauled he became. It was about to get worse.

-X-

"It took a lot of work, but I finally figured her out." Beast said.

The X-Men, along with Xavier, gathered in the conference room to discuss "MewTwo's" future. The baby Mutant, in question, was among them, sitting in Logan's lap in absolute comfort. The burely Mutant had no problem with its proximity to him and actually seemeed quite smug about it. Meanwhile, the babe's purple eyes roved the faces of everyone around it; one pair of hands gripping Logan's pants in anticipation.

Beast stood up and ambled twoard the enormous smartboard mounted on the wall. He plugged in a flashdrive containing his research on MewTwo, waited for the computer to finish scanning, then opened the x-rays and ultrasounds.

"Her anatomy is vastly different from ours. In fact, it is so different, we dare not eveen call it 'human'. Her skull is feline in appearance, so are the tail and legs. In fact, most of her bones are in her tail." Beast said.

"Just like cats." Said Sarah Rushman, AKA "Marrow", who knew a thing or two about bones.

"Exactly like a cat, Marrow." Beast said. "But, that's where the similarities end and the differences begin."

He grabbed a marker from the tray and drew circles from the neck down to the pelvis.

"These bones are arranged like a human. The spine has the correct number of disks. There are twenty-four ribs—including the two floating ribs—six cervical vertebrae, twelve thoracic vertebrae, and five lumbar vertebrae."

He selected another pen and marked each individual verebrae as he counted them, starting below the skull and working his way down. Then, he marked the calpula, seccrum, coccyx, illium, and femur.

"After that, the similarities to humans ends, too. See, she actually possesses two pairs of shoulder blades—the scapula—hense the reason why she has two arms and each hand has nine phalanges—finger bones—and both feet only have four." Beast continued. "It's really very fascinating just how her structure differs from ours."

"Sure it is, Doc." Wolverine said, gruffly. "What else did you find?"

Beast cleared his throat. "Her anatomy, on the other hand, is only slightly closer to ours than her skeletal structure." He manuevered into the next slide show. "What do you see?"

Out of all the Mutants in the room, only two—besides Beast—understood anatomy. Xavier being one, and Phoenix the other. Xavier rolled his chair close to the screen and examined the bits of organs. He pointed to each organ as he listed them.

"Heart, lungs, kidneys, pancreas, stomach . . . and another stomach."

"Wait! It has _two _stomachs?" Kitty said, rising. "What's the purpose to that?"

"I can only assume the second one is actualy a stomach-bladder." Beast said. "About three hours ago—before my research started—she was fed a mostly-liquid soup. Very little substance, but since she hadn't eaten since her birth, I figured that was best."

"Get on with it, Bub." Wolverine snarled. MewTwo looked up at him, quizzically, and a smile played on her thin lips.

Beast immediately forwent the remainder of his ramblings. "What I meant was, two hours later, she spat up a black spone. I analyzed the stone and found traces of chicken, carrots, celery, and pasta—all deprived of nutrients. Apparently, her stomach breaks it down and her intestines draw out whatever he body needs. Her second stomach focres it out of the body through her esophogus—see how it y's off at the bottom?—and she spits it back out."

"Why doesn't it defecate like the rest of us?" asked Phoenix.

"Because, as you can see, she has no true bladder. No sphincter, no urethra. She doesn't even have a genitalia. She is, in all actuality, genderless." Beast answered.

"So, why do you keep calling it a 'her'?" asked Bobby Drake, "Iceman".

"Inside the womb, you are inherently female." Xavier said. He studied the photos more intently. "At one time, you were a girl, Bobby."

That answer received a laugh from Kurt. "You were a girl, Bobby!" Kurt chortled.

"So were _you, _Nightcrawler!" Iceman shot back.

Nightcrawler stopped laughing as he understood what was being said.

"Damn!" He said. "I vas a girl!"

Everyone else laughed. Even MewTwo cracked a smile, though it barely understood the differences between gender.

"How does one become genderless?" asked Rogue in her Mississippi accent.

"I figured someone would ask that." said Beast, opening a presentation. "Within each of us, there are two chromosomes that decide male or female. Males are XY and females are XX. During the stage of reproduction, the woman gives one of her X chromosomes to the fetus and the man gives either his X or his Y chromosome. It is, essentially, the male chromosome which decides gender. To be genderless, the lap simply denies the presence of either chromosome."

"Ah. So they denied 'her' the chance to be male or female. How did they expect for her to reproduce?" asked Storm.

"They didn't. I'm sure they would have cloned her if they still needed her." Xavier answered.

"_Cloned?"_

Only those that had been in contact with the babe before, jumped at the question in their heads. Those who couldn't hear it stared at the others, perplexed by the reaction.

"Cloning means they would make a copy of you. An exact replica of who and what you are. In the case of a Mutant, this would include duplicating your powers." Xavier said to MewTwo.

"Did she say something, Professor?" asked Amara Aquilla, "Magma".

The professor studied the dark-haired girl. "You couldn't hear that?"

"Hear what?" Ray Crisp, "Berserker", asked.

"She asked a question about cloning." said Wolverine. He regarded them all with an intense stare. "You didn't hear any of that?"

Those that hadn't shook their heads. Wolverine turned to the professor and the doctor.

"What's the problem? Why couldn't they hear her?"

"When was the first time you heard her?" Xavier asked Logan.

Logan thought back to the dream he had at the hotel, the one involving the beaten lab and the babe in his lap. He idnd't know why he had a dream about a baby Mutant and was quick to decide she was calling for help and he happened to be close by. Within telepathic range. Whether she was just calling out to anybody that could listen or was looking for someone with similar characteristics was undecided.

"You saw her in a dream?" Xavier said, turning away from the scans.

Logan sighed. "You know, Charles, I really don't appreciate you running around in my head, uninvited."

"Your thoughts weren't exactly quiet." Xavier said with all seriousness.

Logan grunted but said nothing to that. Instead, he nodded in response to Xavier's question, knowing it would be met with a barrage of questions. Questions he couldn't answer. As expected, rith away, every X-man present roared out inquiries. How did he see her in a dream when he never met her before? How did no one else see her? Why did Phoenix, Beast, Xavier, and Wolverine hear her but no one else? Beast was prepared to answer the last question for himself.

"She touched me before talking ot me." Beast played with his spectacles a moment, eyeing each person intently. "As for Jean and the Professor, I believe it is their psychic abilities which allow them to hear her."

"Yes. That very well be." Xavier said, agreeably.

"So, it takes skin-to-skin contact for it to work?" Said Rogue, worriedly. Everyone could understand why she would be anxious. For Rogue, skin-to-skin contact was dangerous. She absorbed the life-force, powers, memories, and even appearance and personality of the people around her. She already knew MewTwo was strong enough to worry the professor. She didn't want anything to do with those powers.

"Probably not direct contact." Phoenix said. "She might need to extract a tiny bit of DNA before communication is possible. Whether she can hear what's going on in your head, however, has yet to be determined."

"Exactly." Xavier said, again agreeable. He directed his piercing gaze to MewTwo, whose purple eyes were not intent on him. "Can you read the minds of everyone here?"

MewTwo nodded.

"But you can't speak directly to them without touching them?" Xavier added.

A headshake was all that was needed.

"Thank you." He said. He turned back to Beast, after witnessing a polite head inclination from MewTwo's end. "What else have you learned, Hank?"

"Not much. She doesn't have a very dense bone structure and the muscles are only developed for basic movements only. In fact, like her bones, most of her muscle structure is in her tail." Beast answered. "Killing her would be easy . . . if you could get passed her mental capabilities, that is."

"Yes. Formidable as they are." Xavier said.

"She doesn't look very strong." said Samuel Guthrie, "Cannonball".

MewTwo blinked at him; a frown playing at the corners of her mouth.

"I think that was the illusion Hudson wanted." said Xavier. "If you have a mind with enough power to send someone in a vegetative state—or destroy them completely—then you would only need a body that can contain it."

"Exactly. She looks vulnerable, but she's not necessarily so. If anything, she can repulse you with her powers if you so much as prick her finger. But the hardest bones in her body are her sternum, ribs, and skull—probably to protect her vital organs." Beast said.

"Had a bit of an experience with the repulsing power, eh, Hank?" Wolverine asked.

Beast smiled. "Yes, actually, I did."

MewTwo griamced. _"I said I was sorry. I don't even know how I did it. It was out of—reflex."_

Beast wandered to MewTwo's side and ruffled her head. "I know. I should've warned you that you would feel a prick and a sting. That was neglectful on my part. I apologize."

Xavier remained silent. "Out of reflex" she said. Already, this Mutant was acting on impulse. If her powers grew beyond control, they may end up destroying her.

"You don't really want to do that, do you?"

The question came on so suddenly, Xavier hadn't even expected it. He was inused to someone being able to read his mind like MewTwo was, now. Nor was he used to telepathic responses to non-verbal questions.

"No. Of course I don't." He answered, pushing it into MewTwo's surprisingly-thick skull.

"Charles, what did you figure out?" Beast said.

Xavier quickly launched into his explanations; telling them about Niles Hudson's blatant plans to make "the ultimate weapon". He explained Hudson's position against Homo Sapien Superior—as Mutants were now classified—and that anything this strong could only be dangerous to Mutant kind if in the wrong hands.

"So, what do we do, Professor?" Cyclops asked. His question was met with a chorus of "yeah's" and "what do we do's".

Xavier waited for silence, then turned to Beast. "Due to your examination, what do you say we do, Hank?"

"I say she's quite capable of learning about us and all we have to offer, same as any Mutant child—or human one at that. I don't see her as a threat, really." answered Beast.

"What if she is? What then?" Marrow said.

"Then we destroy her!" Cyclops said, raising a fist.

Xavier looked grave. "I do not think you want to be the one to do it, Scott." He said.

"Why?" Cyclops said. His question was repeated by his younger siblings.

"Because . . . MewTwo is a clone. A genetic reproduction of an ancient Mutant named 'Mew' . . . and your sister, Kassie."

Scott clenched his fists so tightly, his fingernails bit his palms and blood trickled onto the table. His eyes, always hidden behind the red-quartz glasses that contained his power, darkened with fury, and tears ran down his cheeks at this revelation.

"Kassie." He breathed.

He looked at Kitty and Kurt, remembering how the triplets looked together. Kassie had been the clue that held them together. When she died, the remaining Summers children were devistated. They avoided her grave because of the painful memories involving her.

Scott stood up. "You say he used Kassie's DNA for this? That bastard deflied her grave and used her? That's disrespectful!"

Kitty stared at MewTwo, who was returning her gaze. She was stunned into silence. Was Kassie the baby Mutant everyone was so terrified of, now?

"Who does that man think he is?" Kurt said, pounding the table with a blue, furry, three-fingered hand. "How dare he defile my sister's grave like dat? Vot gave him de right to do such a thing?"

"You must understand, Kurt. Niles Hudson is a man with a code of conduct all his own. I don't know why he chose Kassie's grave out of all the others to defile, but he did." Xavier said.

"That explains it." Beast said.

"Explains what, Doc?" Wolverine asked.

"When I took a blood sample from her, my electronic microscope showed me her entire DNA structure. Only pieces of it looked a little out of place—probably Hudson's way of filling in the gaps left over during replication. Those fillings were an exact replica of DNA belonging to one Mutant in particular. You, Kitty. Your DNA matched." Beast answered.

Kitty nodded. "Yeah. If MewTwo does contain Kassie's DNA, that would make sense. Kassie and I were identical."

"Jah. You were." Kurt said, remembering his same-age sisters and how they acted towards him; ganging up on him. But Kassie acted as mediator. She also ganged up on Kitty with Kurt and all three used to pull pranks on Alex and Scott. For both Kitty and Kurt, losing Kassie was like losing themselves.

"Where'd you get my DNA anyway?" Kitty asked.

"Remember that Anti-Mutant virus a few years ago?" Beast said.

Kitty shuddered, as she had been one of those effected by it resulting in Beast having to put her under heavy sedation until a cure could be found.

"I had to draw some blood then to keep testing for a cure. The computer remembered your DNA and matched it to MewTwo's."

"That doesn't explain why he used Kassie's genetic code!" Scott said.

"We will probably never know." Xavier said.

"What do we do with her, then?" asked Jamie Madrox, "Multiple".

Xavier was silent, his light eyes on MewTwo's purple ones. He didn't see the monster he had originally painted her as, nor did he see her as tainted. Hudson had yet to leave his mark on her and Xavier hoped he never would.

"She will be allowed to remain here." He said.

Wolvering and Beast smiled. Other students shrugged it off as no surprise—Xavier was not prone to turning away Mutants who needed some TLC. Jean looked upset and Scott appaulled—knowing MewTwo possessed some of Kassie's DNA made the babe an abomination is his mind.

"But . . . Professor!" Jean said. "If MewTwo _is_ the product of hatred, is it really wise to keep her in an environment where there're the people she's supposedly meant to destroy? What if Hudson comes back and tries to use her? What if she turns evil? Sure, she looks innocent and pleasant now, but even the worst serial killers had good beginnings!"

"You're right, Jean." Xavier said, agreeably. "There is that possibility. I fear I may be throwing a wolf in with the lambs just by doing this. But there is also that distince possibility that she may not as dangerous as we think. That is why I am willing to keep her here for the time being."

"I won't be under the same roof as that monstrosity!" Cyclops said, angerily.

"Scott! She only possesses pieces of Kassie's genetic code. She is not Kassie." Xavier said, reading Scott's mind. "While she may be bits and pieces of two separate people and was grown in a factory, she may not be dangerous. I ask that you at least be kind to her. If not kind . . . civil."

Cyclops muttered something that sounded like "whatever" and left the room. Xavier shook his ehad at this student of his, then turned back to the others.

"Now. To figure out a suitable living arrangement. Who would like to room with her? This is all voluntary, of course. I won't force you to donate half of your room to her." Xavier said. No hands went up and Xavier stared at them with disappointment. "_No_ one?"

Toward the back, Marrow fidgeted; avoiding the professor's probing stared.

"Sarah. Do you mind watching out for her?" Xavier asked.

"Me?" Marrow looked at him.

"Yes, you." Xavier responded with the smallest hint of a smile. "I'm sure you two would get along just fine. She'll have to sleep on an air mattress for the time being, but we'll figure something out."

Marrow rolled her eyes. "Yeah, whatever." She said.

"Thank you." Xavier said. "Meeting adjourned."

As everyone filed out of the room, Marow stopped at Wolverine's side and took the baby Mutant by the hand. She went stock-still as MewTwo whispered something to her mind, possibly a word of gratitude. Marrow glowered at her and muttered something about "Don't make me regret it" before dragging her off toward the housing sector.

Only Xavier, Logan and Hank remained. Logan stood up and approached Xavier.

"Listen, Chares. I don't often do this, but there's eomthing I need to do." He said.

"What is it, Logan?" Xavier said.

Logan ran his fingers through his hair. "MewTwo doesn't have a family to call her own yet." He said. "So, I want to claim MewTwo as my dependent."

"You want to _adopt_ her?" Hank asked, stopping in the middle of gathering his tools.

"Not exactly. More of like, I want to be her godfather is all." Logan said. "Is that okay with you?"

"I see no problem with it." Hank said. "Do you, Charles?"

"No. And considering that he and MewTwo both have complicated beginnings, I can see how this relationship would work." Xavier said. "Very well, Logan. I grant you permission to be her godfather if you so desire."

"Thanks Charles." Logan said. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and left.

"That was interesting." Hank said.

"It was, wasn't it?" Xavier, agreed.

* * *

><p>[1]Sc.D.-Doctorate of Science<p>

[2]Blaine- Pokemon Red, Blue, Green Arc (Manga)

[3]Ph.D.- Doctorate of Philosophy


	5. Advancements

_Here's chapter five. I'm sure you've been waiting for this one for a while. I've had it written for a time and I've been meaning to get it all typed out but anime has kinda grabbed my attention. Did I mention that I'm ADD? Anyway, the end of this chapter has an interesting twist to it. And I should warn you that chapter seven is not for the squeamish. But you won't have to worry about that until we get to it._

_Disclaimer: I don't own either X-Men or MewTwo. If you haven't heard of a person or thing, assume it's mine.  
><em>

* * *

><p>Chapter Five<br>Advancements

* * *

><p>Over the next few days—twelve to be exact—MewTwo had shown a lot of promise and everyone began to relax. Including Xavier. But there was still some conflict involved. After hearing that MewTwo contained pieces of his beloved little sister's genetic makeup, Cyclops refused to even acknowledge MewTwo's presence in the Institute. Kitty and Kurt, on the other hand, tried to get past their astonishment simply by attempting to rebond with her only to discover that she was completely different from the sister they loved and lost. And, when word got out that Wolverine had become MewTwo's godfather, hostilities between her, Rogue, and Marrow increased—Wolverine had also godfathered Rogue and Marrow and, thus far, had gotten used to Logan's affections being directed only at them and no one else.<p>

Aside from some hostilities between the members, MewTwo fit in pretty well. Many of the students were even willing to forget she was an SBM, grown to be the bane of the Mutant community. Some even accepted her into some of the most intimate of circles. Some even took it upon themselves to teach her the basics of life, only to discover she was a very fast learner; able to comprehend even the most intermediate of lessons. Such achievements made Xavier, Beast, and Logan very proud. Beast especially because she gave him another opportunity to study her. because she was growing rather quickly . . . and her powers were advancing at an astonishing rate.

On the first day of MewTwo's stay, they noticed she looked taller and slimmer. Her face was longer and she walked in a more resolute fashion than the stumbling toddler Logan had brought in. In fact, Beast had taken it upon himself to measure and weigh her, finding her to be the height and weight of a three-year-old. On day two at the Institute, she had grown some more and Beast charted her in at four years old. Thus began his hypothesis of accelerated aging. Meaning, she aged one year for every twenty-four hours that pass. With the accelerated aging process, however, there were some other advancements. For one, MewTwo seemed to develop a much better grasp of how her powers worked and was able to hold psionic pulses in, which alleviated the headaches of all the psychic Mutants inside the building. The beam of black energy used to repel Beast was never seen again, accept for Danger Room sessions, that is.

Danger Room sessions could be both exciting and nerve-wracking, depending on the person. There were those who thrived on the exercises within. The others, on the other hand, found them to be very scary. Like, horror movie scary. MewTwo found this out for herself. All because Xavier wanted to find out the extent of her powers. These sessions took place when beast confirmed MewTwo had stopped growing—which was about fourteen days after her birth; at fifteen-days-old, her growth-spurts were finished—and she was fitted for an official X-Men uniform.

MewTwo rather liked her new uniform. It fit like a glove, stretching and moving with her muscles and conforming to her curves. The four sleeves were padded except at the joints and fell just above her wrists. Her tail was kept free for maneuverability and the neck v-ed at the throat, leaving the tube behind her neck free—that feature was Beast's suggestion because the tube was actually a windpipe.

MewTwo showed a great deal of progress in the Danger Room as well as in the class room. But the results were scary. She was able to deflect blaster fire by only glancing at the beams of light coming at her. Her agility was impressively off the charts. And her marksmanship was scarily accurate. Globes of blue or black energy were easy to create to her and she was able to fire them from any appendage, including her tail. Small powers were also able to control. Much harder ones, including the gathering of enough energy to form an energy projectile was much more draining and her eyes went white with exertion.

Since then, many of the students came to fear MewTwo and what she could do. The professor couldn't blame them as she was showing exceptional skills. But he refused to hamper her, permitting her to discover and develop her numerous talents; laying down the usual rule not to use her powers against another student or person unless she had actual need. He was greatly relieved that MewTwo agreed to abide by this law and she admitted to sensing the others reluctance towards her. The apprehensiveness to sharing the breakfast table with her. And the brewing hostilities from those who didn't like her telepathy—her only means of communication. Only a brave few had physical contact with her to allow her to speak directly with them. As it turned out, MewTwo didn't have vocal cords.

One Mutant in particular, hated MewTwo and her so-called "intrusive" telepathy. Marrow. Marrow didn't like how MewTwo was able to enter her mind and speak to her with ease. She was worried MewTwo would see something in her head not to be seen by others. Marrow had done many things she wasn't proud of. Especially against the X-Men.

"_Why do you hate me so?"_ MewTwo asked one night, sitting up in bed. An extra-large nightshirt with sleeves so wide she was able to fit both sets of arms through, covered her down to the thighs. Her purple eyes latched onto Marrow's green ones and Marrow turned away; not bothering to answer the question.

She felt the prickle of an intrusive entity entering her skull and she threw a bone knife from her forearm at MewTwo—the Mutant was not quite as sneaking at entering guarded minds as Jean or Xavier.

"Stay out of my head, freak!" she snapped, bone growing out of her forehead, back, and shoulders. "You have no right intruding on my thoughts! Just leave me alone!"

"_Marrow! MewTwo! A word?"_ The telepathic command carried a do-not-argue edge. Both left the room and walked to the professor's, knowing too well what was about to be said.

"This is a school for unique individuals who will not be judged by what they can and cannot do. I do not appreciate the hostility you are displaying toward one another, nor will I tolerate it." Xavier said, firmly.

Both girls nodded.

Xavier studied them before addressing them. "Now, Sarah, MewTwo's only method of communication is telepathy. It may be uncomfortable for you to allow her in your head for such means, but it is the only way. We must respect that, whether you agree with it or not. MewTwo, it is against school policy for psychics to read a person's mind without their permission. Intruding on Marrow's thoughts, as you did, will not be tolerated. Do so again, and you will spend the next few weeks cleaning every vehicle in the garage. Am I clear?"

"Crystal." Marrow said.

"_Yes."_ MewTwo said.

"Good. Now off to bed, both of you." Xavier ordered.

Marrow tromped out of the room in a huff and both psychics watched her go. MewTwo remained rooted to the spot, ears turned slightly back. Then, she looked at the professor.

"_Why does Marrow hate me? I never did anything to her! I've given her no reason to despise me, yet she does. Why?"_ She asked.

The professor sighed. "When Marrow was a child, she was raised by a group of sewer-dwelling Mutants called Morlocks. The leader of the Morlocks raised Marrow, himself, like she was his daughter. But their relationship was torn apart when an uprising occurred against the humans. Marrow was used as an assassin. Violence was the only thing she knew of. Until we came and promised her a new lifestyle, that's all she wanted to do was kill.

"The Morlocks observed privacy in others. Your ability to read minds and project thoughts goes against everything Calaban and Calisto taught her. She hates you because you are ignoring the rules she thought you understood. She doesn't want to accept you're friendly just because you can enter her mind whenever you want to."

MewTwo's tail flicked around her ankles. _"What do I do then?"_

"You must give her patience and space. Marrow will warm up to you in time. As long as you continue to prove that you are not the bane Niles J. Hudson wanted you to be." Xavier said.

MewTwo's ears flattened. The reference to her birth in a lab owned by a Mutant-hater was quite well-known by now. She didn't like the thought of her powers being abused in that manner.

She took a breath and relaxed. _"Thank you, Professor. I shall do as you say. Good night."_

"Good night, MewTwo." Xavier said.

Since that night, MewTwo came to understand everyone had limits to what they would allow from her. The aggression and hostilities ended. At least until another Mutant joined the ranks of students.

Thirteen years ago, a moment of intimacy occurred between a couple of the X-Men's own; Ororo and Hank. In that moment, Hank left his mark and Ororo became pregnant with a baby boy. Both parents were overjoyed to be given this wonderful gift, but were afraid of what two X-gene positive parents would produce. Options were tossed around and they settled on foster care. Their son, who they already called William McCoy, was born and introduced into the foster care system so he could live a normal, stress-free life away from the pressures of being born a Mutant.

Like his father before him, Billy was born with large hands and feet. Aside from that, he looked like a normal baby. Slipping him into foster care was easy, especially with Jean present to make Hank look more human. Their only request was for Billy to know of his parents, but not to know the whole truth behind their identities.

When Billy hit puberty, his powers manifested and Cerebro identified him immediately. Xavier knew who William was and informed his parents of this new discovery, telling them that Billy had developed both powers from Ororo and Hank. He asked if they wanted him to join them at the school. Both gave their permission with one request: Billy was not to join the X-Men. At least not for a while. The Professor agreed and went to retrieve him from his foster home with a letter saying his family wanted him back.

Billy's arrival at the mansion sparked a lot of curiosity from the other students. The son of Beast and Storm. A boy with powers from both parents. He even looked like his parents: built like a linebacker for the Dallas cowboys, blue and furry, blue eyes, and a mane of white hair. Billy was impressive to say the least. But, he had yet to get a handle on his powers. As Xavier pointed out, he would soon learn to control his powers.

Billy was both afraid of and impressed by this weather-witching ability he had—a trait that earned him the codename "StormBeast"—but wouldn't let others know. He could create storms just by thinking about them or form a ball of lightning in his hands—the fact he could do this made him feel superior to the others which caused fights and the like all around. There was one who he couldn't intimidate—he had attempted to do so many times before. There had actually been a rumor that this Mutant could not be made inferior nor did she feel superior to everyone. MewTwo was the butt of many of Billy's jokes. Many times, he tried to scare her by throwing lightning at her, or by directing sheer wind in her direction. MewTwo always seemed to be able to deflect or redirect the attacks without even batting an eye. The fact she could do that annoyed him. But what angered him most was that she didn't seem to notice.

The others had and explained that MewTwo had been born in a lab only a few months ago. She didn't know or understand what it was to be bullied. They also suggested the idea that he was just wasting his time trying to get a reaction and just give up.

"Whatever." Said Billy. He had run out of patience trying to get a reaction from her anyway. It wasn't fun anymore for him. But he did want to go against her during Logan Sessions in the yard. Those sessions sounded like fun.

In the next couple of years that followed, Billy had dropped the bad boy attitude. Particularly after mending the relationship he had with his parents. After his broken family became whole again, Billy became a better student. He paid close attention to Xavier's lessons and to the exercises Wolverine taught. With this change of heart, Billy's skills inherited from both parents approved in the Danger Room. He even got his wish and fought against MewTwo in a mock battle. It was then that everyone discovered a hidden talent of hers: energy absorption.

The discovery of energy absorption came quite by accident and it was thanks to StormBeast who fired off a continuous stream of lightning. MewTwo shaped her upper two arms into a "hold the ball"1 stance and pulled the lightning's nasty power into her nervous system. Her lower two arms touched the wall and she released it. Xavier asked why she channeled the lightning through her and she explained that when she took in the electricity, it jolted her just by touching its raw power. She needed to get rid of it. Xavier considered this and asked MewTwo if she could try absorbing and redirecting any energy she took in. MewTwo tried it, but found the jolting experience confusing and she redirected the lightning in the wrong direction. After a few more tries, she finally managed to get past the discombobulation and locate her target; suppressing the urge to get rid of the uncomfortable power.

The way MewTwo was able to absorb the energies only raised the question of how could she do it. Now, MewTwo had already been versed in the properties of physics—a class every Mutant in Xavier's school had to learn—and she understood the properties of matter. She explained that in her "extreme psychic state" (the state in which her eyes turned white) she could see matter. She could sense matter in the form of tiny colored beads. When she came in contact with the matter, she merely changed the properties of the matter from one thing to another; turning it into something similar to water and her skin absorbed it like a sponge.

"What about us? What do you see when you look at us?" Jean asked, regretting her question.

"_When I look at you in EPS, I don't see you as a whole being. I see your very atoms and molecules that make you up. I can sense every single one. And, I can almost pull them apart like a crocheting project gone wrong. It wouldn't take much, either. Just remove one atom and your entire system would fall to pieces."_2

"I think we would all prefer if you didn't do that." Xavier said.

MewTwo smiled, the corners of her vibrant, purple eyes crinkled. _"I wasn't planning to, Professor."_

Xavier nodded. While he trusted MewTwo not to abuse that power, there was something else that troubled him. The idea of an outside force using MewTwo in that fashion caused him to shudder.

_God forbid that day ever come._

-X-

Niles Hudson had behaved himself rather well in prison, with only a few minor conflicts. As a general rule, Human and Mutant convicts were kept separated on different sides of the facility. Time outside was rotated so that, at no time, did either race encounter the other. The cafeteria could not be occupied at the same time by both entities either. This was to relieve tension between the races . . . and to keep the casualty rate low.

In the past, the inmates of both races were made to coexist. The Mutants received biweekly injections of a mild suppressant so they would seem more human,. But, even that wasn't enough. The Human inmates noticed the extra treatment to select few inmates and pieced it all together. The ones discovered to be Mutants were either bludgeoned to death in the weight room or in the mess hall, or were shanked, repeatedly while their powers were of no use to them. Many Mutants retaliated in kind. Because of this, a new section was built on the prison and all the Mutant inmates were moved to the new section. However, even though the casualty rate went down, the Warden insisted those inmates be kept Human until their release date.

Hudson had learned a great deal about the suppressants from the other inmates. Especially those who had been there long enough to remember the coexistence routine forced upon them. Many times, Hudson spotted the orange jumpsuits with the black arrows down both shoulders. The Mutant suits, they were called. But, while Hudson could now tell the difference between Mutant and Human, he wasn't interested in those Mutants. No, his attention was on one Mutant in particular. His beloved Project 48. MewTwo. When he got out of prison, he wanted to find it and start back where he had been last. First, he needed to get out of prison.

Hudson's charge had been fairly minor: Practice of Illegal Genetic Experimentation. The verdict was guilty and he was sentenced to five years with only a minimal chance at parole. Hudson knew that if he behaved, his sentence would be shortened. Every few months, his chance for parole came up and Hudson's esteemed lawyer, Manuel Vega, fought for his chance to be released. Each time, he failed, the justice system only too happy keeping Hudson where he was. Hudson became frustrated with Manuel and was about to fire him when, suddenly, a new face appeared.

"Sylvester Perroni." He introduced himself as. Hudson was impressed by what he saw. A suave, tall, lanky man who fit in his pricey, pin-stripe suit and pointy-toed shoes like they were made for him. His black hair was slicked back with only minimal oil and his olive-toned skin was without blemish. Even his fingers were perfectly manicured with only half-inch of cuticle on each finger. He carried himself with confidence and used law terminology like it was his first language. Hudson liked him.

"I believe you were wronged that day, two years ago, Dr. Hudson. Your work, it was harmless research, wasn't it, sir?" Sylvester said, politely.

"Of course it was." Hudson answered curtly. He loved how Sylvester used his proper title. Manuel had always called him _Mr._ Hudson, forgetting that there was a science doctorate after his name. _This man shows promise._ He thought.

"That's what I thought." Sylvester said. He paged through the manilla folder on the table in front of him, his eyes skimming each piece of information with diligence. "Did you actually make something out of your research?"

"A test tube baby, yes." Hudson admitted.

"I see." Sylvester said, noting the mention of Science-Based Mutate" in the file. "But, it was done purely out of scientific interest, is that correct, Dr. Hudson?"

"Absolutely." Hudson said.

Sylvester looked at him. Steely-eyes met Mediterranean-style eyes. Hudson knew Sylvester knew he was lying. But it wasn't Sylvester's job to judge Hudson, anyway. Only to defend him.

Sylvester closed the file and leaned back in his chair, staring at Hudson through the plexiglass window in the visitor's sector.

"Dr. Hudson., you must know that I took this job purely out of curiosity. I'll have you know that every parole case I've been given, I've won. I've also supported convicted murderers and other criminals. Your lousy Mexican lawyer couldn't win a came of poker even if he was he only player. I guarantee you, I will win this case for you." Sylvester said.

"I'd appreciate that." Hudson said.

"There is one small matter I do need to discuss with you" Sylvester said.

"Your fee?"

"Oh no. I've already been paid for." Sylvester said.

Hudson was surprised. _A lawyer already paid for? What did that mean?_

"What do you want, then?"

"My employers are interested in your work, Dr. Hudson. They want to see your . . . Project 48 at work. They only ask that you include them in future studies." Sylvester said.

"Who are your employers?" Hudson asked, curiosity piqued. He would make no plans to include outside help unless he was sure they wouldn't steal everything . . . or enslave him. "What's the company name?"

"The company name is of no consequence." Sylvester said. "It would mean nothing to you anyway. What it is, on the other hand, is a separate matter. It is a military science facility, specializing in Mutant studies."

Hudson couldn't help but feel intrigued. This sounded vaguely familiar. If he was getting his media facts right.

"Who's your boss?" Hudson asked.

Sylvester smiled. "I'm sure you know him when you hear his name. Colonel William Stryker?"

* * *

><p>1Hold the ball – one of the 18 forms of Tai Chi.<p>

2 "When I look at you [in EPS], I don't see you as a whole being. I see your very atoms and molecules that make you up. I can sense every single one. And, I can almost pull them apart [like a crocheting project gone wrong]. It wouldn't take much, either. Just remove one atom and your entire system would fall to pieces." - Babylon 5


	6. Gathering Resources

_Here's chapter six. I'm sure you've been waiting for this one for a while. I've had it written for a time and I've been meaning to get it all typed out. it's actually kind of long. thirteen pages of handwritten notes. also, i've been distracted with work and . . . my grandmother is dying. so if you don't hear from me in a while, just assume it's because i'm taking a leave of absense.  
><em>

_there is now a tari j dieter fanbase on facebook. there'll i'll keep you updated on all the happenings in my stories or upcoming stories. oh, and i've also started on an avatar legend of korra fanfict. it's called twisted destinies fire. so check both out.  
><em>

_Disclaimer: I don't own either X-Men or MewTwo. If you haven't heard of a person or thing, assume it's mine.  
><em>

* * *

><p>Chapter Six<br>Gathering Resources

* * *

><p>Professor Xavier was full of much joy when he received a call from an old friend, Moira MacTaggert. Xavier had been a young man studying for his biochemistry and psychology degree at Oxford when he met a bright, young woman who was studying medicine. The two fell in love but had since broken up and only spoke to one another when they felt the need to reconnect. After taking care of his new students and watching over MewTwo, Moira's voice was a nice reprieve.<p>

"Hey Charles. How are you?" Moira asked, cheerfully.

Xavier smiled into the phone. "I'm wonderful, Moira." He said. "Yourself?"

"Oh. I'm wonderful, Charles. I just got to be thinking about you recently and thought I would check in. What's been going on lately?" Moira asked.

Xavier told her everything, unafraid to get into specifics because he knew Moira was not a Mutant-hater. He told her how his older students advanced as well as the new students and the specifics behind their powers. Xavier trusted Moira with this info because Moira respected the X-Men.

"Sarah's finally opened up and made friends." Xavier said.

"Sarah? You mean the little Morlock girl?" Moira asked.

"The very same." Xavier answered.

"Well, that's good." said Moira. "Who'd she befriend?"

"That's the interesting part. One of the newest additions to my school is a Science-Based Mutate we call MewTwo."

There was a pause before Moira said anything. "I think you lost me at 'Science-based Mutate, Charles. What exactly are they?"

"Mutants born and raised in the name of science." said Xavier. "There's mutant experimentation going on all the time. Some Mutants are even enhanced in a lab. It's uncommon for a Mutant to actually be made in a test tube."

"So, MewTwo is a test tube baby?" Moira said. It wasn't a question. Moira was known for asking such questions for her own benefit of understanding. "So, why do you call this Science-Based mutate 'MewTwo'?"

"She's a clone. Her DNA comes from an Ancient Egyptian Mutant named mew. But, the structure had gaps, so MewTwo's maker used the DNA of an X-gene positive human to fill I the gaps." Xavier answered.

"So, the original is already dead?"

"Absolutely. However, we couldn't find any of the remains when we found MewTwo. We can assume the skeleton was disposed of when MewTwo's maker no longer needed them."

"Thrown out like a tissue, then. Forgive me, but this maker sounds awful." Moira said.

"Oh yes. He's Niles J. Hudson."Xavier said.

"That narcissistic asshole?" Moira seldom ever cussed. When she did, however, her Scottish lineage was apparent and her accent became more pronounced. "You have one of his own creations in your school?"

"MewTwo is harmless. She was abandoned a while ago and we had since raised her in our own way. She is not a danger to anyone. Least of all, us." Xavier said.

"Forgive me, Charles, But I would like to see MewTwo for myself." Moira said.

It was Xavier's turn to lank on a response for a time. "You want to come up and visit, is that it?"

"Yes. Actually, that's another reason why I'm calling. I've been meaning to get away from work and see you. It's been so long since we last saw one another."

"Yes. But, what about your clinic?"

Moira ran a clinic for low-income families. The clinic took care of anything from vaccinations and general check-ups to major surgery and rehabilitation. Moira studied every available aspect of medicine in an attempt to help those less fortunate and was apprenticed to the most esteemed physicians in the various fields. The only treatments Moira's clinic had not been approved for was for Cancer, Moira kindly backed down as even she would feel stretched by that study. Last Xavier heard, Moira had only a small handful of technicians in her employ and one or two interns learning the trade.

"My clinic has lots of available staff members to keep it going. I have several patients headed on the road to recovery. Besides, if I'm needed for general advice, I'll only be a phone call away. You shouldn't really have to ask, Charles." Moira said.

Xavier sighed. "Okay, Moira. How soon do you want to visit? How long will you be staying?"

"I can get out of here in a couple of weeks. I just need to make sure my staff and senior technicians are fully prepared to take it on. I hope to stay for only a couple of days. Perhaps a week. If you'll keep me that long."

"Of course, Moira. You're welcome to come. I just wasn't sure if this was because of MewTwo."

"Not originally."

"Moira?"

"Listen, Charles, I trust your judgment when it comes to Mutants. But we are dealing with something Niles Hudson had his hand in. I never trusted Niles. Not since I met him at Cambridge. He . . . he felt evil."

"Yes, I know. I met him a couple of times when he was looking into coming to Oxford." Xavier said, complacently.

"I have to say, Charles, I was really surprised when Niles got his Sc.D. His bachelor in business was much more believable. But, I almost swear he cheated his way through the exams and papers to get the doctorate in science. A guy who has trouble with gamete squares should not be allowed to pass as a geneticist."

"I understand, Moira. But I can assure you, MewTwo is just fine. We had few rough patches where she offended someone. Aside from that, she fits in nicely." Xavier said. "If you still want to visit, I'll have one of the guest bedrooms cleared out. Stay as long as you like."

"Thanks, Charles. I'll see you in a couple of weeks. It was great talking to you."

"Good-bye, Moira." Xavier said, hanging up.

-X-

Niles Hudson had to admit, he was greatly intrigued. Colonel William Stryker showing interest in Project 48 was like a dream come true—or something close to it. Hudson had never shown any interest in the militia nor did he care of the war in the Middle East. If he had his way, the entire Muslim population would just disappear and the need for military strength would no longer exist. But, for an esteemed military scientist like Stryker to want to get involved in something as important to Hudson as this, well, he would gladly fly the American Flag from the top of HGC if Stryker said so.

Hudson knew well of Stryker. Sabertooth used to talk about him from time to time. Stryker was another like-minded Mutant-hater. But, unlike Hudson, he found use in Mutants of different kinds and changed them to fit his needs. Hudson had only one Mutant in his employ. Their worth depended entirely on their powers. Hudson could only imagine what worth Stryker could see in MewTwo—if it was still alive, that is.

Over the next year, Sylvester visited with Hudson on a bi-monthly basis; updating Hudson on the advances Stryker was making. HGC was in the process of being cleaned and restocked with lab materials. Employees were being interviewed and scientists were being checked into. Hudson realized Stryker was being very thorough; his work cut out for him. Sylvester was also working hard getting Hudson's parole rolling through the right connections. As of yet, the court hadn't come up with a list of restrictions in regards to his parole, but Hudson wasn't going to worry about it. He knew it would involve a genetic research ban on his part. But, once he got out, he wouldn't need to do the research. He just needed MewTwo.

A month before Hudson's parole was to go through the justice system, Sylvester appeared with a yellow legal pad and a decorative pen. He pinched the phone in one hand to his ear while preparing the tablet with the other.

"Colonel Stryker wishes to know your demands." Sylvester said. "You have absolute freedoms to work on whatever you want and he will keep you out of the radar. This means, you have the power to hire and fire whomever you choose. Now, is there anyone specific you would like to see on your payroll?'

Hudson sat up, serious-faced. "Yes, I want Dr. Blaine Calhoon, Dr. Dan Fuji, James Gurton, and Sabertooth." He said. "The other scientists can be only the best in their respective fields. I do not want any of those idiots I had before."

Sylvester wrote the names down, slowly, in a neat hand. Next to Blaine and Gurton's names, however, he scrawled a queston mark. Hudson was immediately curious. _What was wrong with those two?_

"Dr. Calhoon and Mr. Gurton may pose a problem. As of right now, we cannot find Mr. Gurton—it's as though he vanished. Dr. Calhoon, however, we discovered was using his geneticist degree to study cancerous cells. We may have a problem collecting him from the American Institute of Cancer Research." Sylvester explained, seeing the confusion on Hudson's face.

"I don't care if you have to burn the building down, I want Dr. Calhoon back on my roster when I'm free!" Hudson said. "Dangle 48 in front of his nose, just get him back to HGC!"

"We will try, Dr. Hudson." Said Sylvester, complacently. "However, Colonel Stryker was wondering if you would consider taking one of his scientists into your employ."

Hudson dared not frown. He knew what he wanted and no amount of pleading—or threats—would convince him otherwise. He knew it was only a matter of time before Colonel Stryker would make adjustments to this deal. Something had to give.

"Only if there is no other option." Hudson relented.

Sylvester nodded and made a not on his legal pad. During the remainder of their visiting hour, they discussed security measures. Sylvester suggested Hudson allow military personnel on HGC grounds, but Hudson wouldn't allow it. He wanted security guards and cameras installed Sylvester relented.

In two weeks, Hudson began wondering if there was any real purpose to this. Did Colonel Stryker expect him to remake MewTwo? If that was the case, Hudson was sure it couldn't be done. Mew's bones had been buried with Kassandra Summers' body in Boston Memorial. Short of raiding the grave again, all DNA materials were now gone—taken as evidence against him when he stood trial.

In their next meeting, Hudson vocalized his concerns to his new lawyer. "If I agree to start back on Project 48, what's Colonel Stryker's position on this? Why the interest?"

"Colonel Stryker is a man of many positions and interests. He already made a super soldier in the past using genetics and modern science. He's interested in seeing your take on this." said Sylvester.

Hudson didn't think so. He suspected there was something else behind the colonel's intentions. Something much more closely related to military purposes. Since Hudson had no love for the military, he knew he would have to cut this off before his creation was placed on the front line in Iran.

Hudson swallowed. "What does Colonel Stryker plan to contribute to this?"

Sylvester smiled. "What, getting you out of jail, keeping you out of radar, and getting your company up and running isn't enough for you?" He was teasing, of course, in a professional manner. But there was a level of seriousness in his tone. A seriousness that told Hudson "be careful what you choose to say next."

"What I mean, Mr. Perroni, was is Colonel Stryker planning to contribute any materials to this? If he has an interest in what my company does, than he should contribute more to my cause." Hudson said.

Sylvester kept a straight face. "You mean you want him to give you stuff?" He asked. He set his pen down and rubbed his temples. "Dr. Hudson, Colonel Stryker chose you because he has a great deal of interest in what you've managed to do thus far. The fact he's done the grunt work this far to pave the way for your return should be enough. If anything, _you_ should contribute something. This is not free."

"I realize that, Mr. Perroni." Said Hudson. "Take this message to Colonel Stryker. I'll work on the project just to thank him for his help. But, I need something in return. A good-will offering. In return, he can do what he wants with MewTwo. Got it?"

Sylvester made a note. "Yes, sir." He said, smartly "Now, about Project 48."

"Yes, about that." Said Hudson."See, I was arrested and my company shut down before MewTwo could be born. What exactly does Colonel Stryker expect me to do with it?"

"We have reason to believe MewTwo is, indeed, alive and well. We can't prove it's MewTwo, but sources say it has a small semblance to it. I will confer with you once we have visual confirmation." Sylvester said.

"And then what?"

Sylvester let silence stretch between them. "We should discuss this later." He said just as the guard arrived to tell them visiting hours were over. "I'll discuss this with you after your trial. Until then, sit tight."

-X-

Blaine Calhoon had been a promising student in his youth. He graduated top of his class in high school, trade school, college, and medical school. Blaine had been born with the innate ability to remember every detail of every event that took place in his life. Science called it an eidetic memory. And he put it to good use.

Blaine's career in genetics had started way in his youth. It was a career goal he had chosen as a preteen w when advances in medical technology and the understanding of DNA was taking place. Blaine also loved to learn new things. Science was always changing as new discoveries were being made. Including the discovery of Mutants.

Mutants had always been a fascination to Blaine, though he would never go to extremes as to experiment on one just for the benefit of doing so. He liked nothing more than to sit and watch people; wondering who was Homo Sapien and who was Homo Sapien Superior. If they were Mutants, what could they do? Could their Mutant abilities be of great benefit to the world, or could it be used for destructive purposes? He wondered if that little baby being coddled and cooed over would become a Mutant and what its powers would be.

Blaine wanted to study the Mutant genome. The hardest part would be obtaining enough blood to run a study. Most people would be appalled that he would even ask. But Blaine meant no disrespect. Nor did he have any desire to keep a Mutant in a lab. What was the point to that? None that he could see.

Blaine's first boss had been lenient with him, letting him come up with several hypothesis that they knew would never be tested. Mr. Fiester—as he was called—was, in fact, entertained by the scenarios playing around in his head. But, Dr. Fiester's assistant, Dr. Cook, wasn't. Dr. Cook saw Blaine's mental explorations in the Mutant genome to be annoying and a waste of time. Dr. Cook decided Blaine needed to be gotten rid of and rallied enough people together to get Blaine fired. It worked, but it wasn't enough in Dr. Cook's mind.

The following week, an accident involving a malfunctioning forklift crippled Blaine's right leg as he was coming into the facility to collect his severance package. Since then, Blaine hobbled from place to place, leaning against a hospital issued cane for support. Blaine thought his days as a genetics researcher was over.

Until _he_ came.

Dr. Niles Julius Hudson, he called himself. Blaine had heard of Hudson before and knew about his company. Hudson had come to Blaine on a reference from Dr. Fiester, hoping this brilliant thirty-seven year old would help him with his company.

"You'll have a crew to command and a lab to do all your work in." Hudson said. "I will even provide you with a stool to sit on. One with wheels so you can move from station to station."

"Sounds all well and good, Dr. Hudson, but what will I be studying?" Blaine asked. He was wary of Hudson. This man had a strangely dark feel to him.

"The Mutant genome." Hudson said, with a smile. "Dr. Fiester mentioned you had some interest in that particular area."

"Yes. Yes I do." said Blaine. "But I won't study one in a lab like a dumb beast. These are people, Dr. Hudson, not rats."

"Of course they are." said Hudson. Somehow, Blaine felt like he was being patronized. "I agree with you. You can conduct your research in any area you wish. My only stipulation is that you also work on whatever projects I decide to take up. We will be cosigners on the deal. Partners. I will just be your boss is all, and you will be my head researcher."

Blaine couldn't help but agree. Hudson had stuck with his word. But most of the ideas for projects he came up with was questionable. After making the test tube baby Mutant known as MewTwo, Blaine began to have mixed feelings: joy that it was working, and fear of what this infant would become. Ever since Hudson's arrest, Blaine had breathed a sigh of relief. MewTwo was out of Hudson's reach for now. Blain had hoped he had seen the last of him and turned to his next career choice: cancer researcher. Little did he know that choice would be short-lived.

The AICR Boston Branch resided just outside the state capitol. Blaine's four-story apartment complex was even further out of the capitol. But he traveled to work everyday in his black Mitsubishi. He did adequate work for his employers at AICR and they were just as happy at letting him muddle through his work while he sat on the rolling stool.

Blaine's day started out like it usually did. He woke up at five to shower, eat, dress, and take his morning pain pills. He browsed the local news, weather, and sports sections in the newspaper before heading to work. There, he plowed through the daily routine of starting machines, checking notes, and e-mails to see what was next on the agenda. Then, he walked during his hour-long lunch break before diving back into his work for the next three hours. After that, he posted his findings on the company log, turned off machines, and went home.

Blaine was hoping to take a nice, long, bubble bath; one that would relieve the stiffness of his replaced knee. But, no sooner had he stepped off the elevator on the third floor than he noticed the door to his apartment was slightly ajar. Shifting his weight to his good leg, Blaine raised his cane like a club and pushed the door open.

He didn't see anyone at first. Everything was as it should be. Until he saw _her._ She was sitting in his favorite comfy chair like she owned the place. One leg resting over her knee. Her skin was blue and she was dressed in a skanty, black, leather outfit. Yellow feline eyes stared impassively at him. Her hair was red and fell down to her shoulders. Blaine knew who she was and he was more than surprised to see her in his living room.

"You're Raven Darkholme, aren't you?" Blaine asked, setting his cane down and leaning heavily upon it.

Raven frowned. "I don't answer to my slave name." She said, her teeth white and pointy; contrasting oddly with the blue skin.

"That's right, you prefer Mystique." Blaine said, settling into his couch.

"Yes." Mystique answered.

"What are you doing here?" Blaine asked.

"Beleive me, I don't want to be here anymore than you want me to be." Mystique said. "I'm just here because it was on a list of chores my employer gave me."

"You're employer?"

"I'll get to him later. I'm here to offer you a job."

"I have a job." Blaine said. "A good one, too."

Mystique grinned. "Yes. I know you have a good job. Working at the American Institute of Cancer Research. At least that's what your file says." She put her foot down, leaned forward, and tapped the manilla folder on his coffee table. Blaine had been absorbed with Mystique's physical mutation that he hadn't been aware of too much else. "But, my employer is offering you double the money with excellent benefits. You would do well not to refuse."

Blaine suddenly got a bad feeling about this. At first, he was happy enough to accept that her "employer" was a Mutant. Mystique was never one to associate herself with Humans unless someone asked her. One person came to mind, Eric Lenshur, AKA "Magneto". But, these requests sounded too Human. Besides, Magneto had no real use for humanity. Only other Humans would want to use Humans.

"What's the job?" He asked, hoping to gain some clues as to the identity of Mystique's employer through the process of elimination.

Mystique leaned forward again and moved the top manilla folder out of the way to expose the one underneath. It had a red TOP SECRET sign stamped across the top and the words PROJECT 48 on the tab. Blaine felt his blood run cold.

"No." He said. "I won't make another Mutant."

"You won't have to, Dr. Calhoon." Mystique said. She opened the folder, exposing a recent picture of a Mutant. "See, Dr. Calhoon? MewTwo's alive."

Blaine grabbed the folder and placed it in his lap. He stared at the photo, wondering a great many things. But that only raised more questions.

"Where did you get this?" He asked, tapping the folder.

"My employer came into possession of it about a year ago." Mystique answered.

"Your employer, he's Dr. Niles Hudson, isn't he?"

"Actually, no." Mystique said, a smile widening.

"Then, who is it?"

"Colonel William Stryker."

Blaine suddenly understood. Stryker. The notorious maker of Deadpool and Weapon X. Saying no to Stryker was next to impossible. He didn't take no for an answer.

"What does he want?"

"He wants Project 48."

"He's wasting his time. I don't know where Project 48 is." Blaine slapped the file back down on the table. "Nor would I tell him if I knew."

"He knew you would be this stubborn." Mystique said. She rose and fluidly walked to the window. "You see, Dr. Calhoon, he already knows where MewTwo is. It's with the X-Men. It has been for these last few years now."

"Good. It would be best if it stayed that way." Blaine said.

"Stryker doesn't think so." Mystique said.

_Of course he doesn't._

"If he knows where MewTwo is, then why doesn't he just get it? Kidnapping Mutants for his purposes is what he does, right? He did it years ago to the X-Men." Blaine said.

"The thing is, he needs people who know MewTwo. The original technicians, for instance. You can learn only so much by reading about Project 48." Mystique said.

"That's true." Blaine agreed. "So, what does he want with me?"

"Oh, he could care less about you than what you know." Mystique said. "He's only interested in the higher up members of the original team. You, Dr. Fuji, Dr. Hudson. Stryker is reopening Hudson Genetics Corporation as we speak."

"And Styker wants me to do what?"

"Take care of MewTwo when it arrives, that's all."

"He's going to kidnap MewTwo, isn't he?"

"Kidnap is such a strong word. Borrow would be better."

Blaine glared. He knew Stryker had no intention of "borrowing" MewTwo at all.

"Correct." Mystique answered.

"So what's your role in this?" He asked Mystique.

"Espionage." Mystique answered.

"You're going to be the one to 'borrow' MewTwo." Blaine realized.

"Correct."

"How?"

Mystique smiled and Blaine remembered she was a metamorph—able to take the shape of anyone she wanted to, including animals.

"You're going to sneak in as someone the X-Men trust."

"Again, correct."

"I don't like it."

"Oh? You mean you don't want to meet your favorite creation? Is that it?"

"Now that I know where it is, I can go see it whenever I want." Blaine countered.

"Let me try this another way. Either you agree to join HGC again, or something will happen." Mystique said.

"Fine." Blaine said. "When do I start?"

"In two weeks." Mystique answered. "Better let your boss know."

-X-

To say that Gabriella Zale was confused would be a huge understatement. She was beyond confused. Her boss was leaving for a while to visit an old friend in Westchester, New York. For Gabriella, who had known Moira MacTaggert for a long time, she felt this was slightly out of character for the older woman. Moira was not the kind of person to just up and leave when she was needed in the facility. Gabriella knew she could handle the clinic just fine in Moira's absence, she couldn't help but feel like this was a very bad idea. Gabriella listened with vague interest as Moira rattled off demands.

"Mr. Foster will need his pain pills and antibiotics. Also, check his stitches and keep those bandages clean." Moira said.

"Yes, Dr. MacTaggert." Gabriella said.

"Mr. Anderson's cast will have to come off in a little while. And don't forget about Bridget's knee brace."

"Got it, Dr. MacTaggert."

Moira shifted through her paper work and put files away. "Now, if you need me for any sound advice or a diagnosis, don't hesitate to call." Moira said.

Gabriella hesitated. She didn't want to say it and sound harsh, but Moira was open to listening to her employees' words. She was a good boss and Gabriella respected her.

"Dr. MacTaggert, what is this about?" Gabriella finally said. "I mean, you're needed _here_. Seth's coming in for a double-lung transplant in a few days and I might need you."

Moira was touched Gabriella was thinking so highly of her. But, at the same time, there was that annoying self-esteem issue Gabriella had. She was a good nurse, a talented surgeon, a respected phlebotomist, and an all around excellent caretaker. Moira wanted to assure Gabriella that she would be fine, but Gabriella wasn't the most gullible of employees. Moira wished Gabriella would believe in herself more often.

"Listen, Gabbie, Charles Xavier is an old friend and flame. We had gone our separate ways a long time ago. It's about time we truly connected again." Moira explained. "Besides, I've been thinking about opening a clinic in New York. It will give me time to look into a few properties."

"But, this clinic runs so smoothly with you here!" Gabriella said.

"I"m sure you'll do fine. I have faith in you." Moira said. She went to Gabriella and patted her on the shoulder; an encouraging smile still on her face. "You've learned so much since I took you under my wing and made you my successor. You're an excellent Medical Technician, Abbie, never forget that. And I'm sure Seth's operation will go swimmingly with you acting as chief surgeon. Don't worry about a thing."

"I'll remember that." Gabriella said.

"And make sure you sign off on Andrea's work-study papers." Said Moira.

Gabriella gasped. "But—but you're the clinic president! Shouldn't that be your job?"

"Not as of now. I'm promoting you to vice-president and acting captain. with your signature, Andrea will get all her points for the semester." Moira said. "You can handle that, can't you?"

"Yes." Gabriella said.

"Good." Moira grabbed her coat and purse. "I'll see you in about a week, give or take. If you need me, don't hesitate to call."

"Yes, Moira." Gabriella said, watching her boss go.

-X-

The verdict was in. Sylvester Perroni provided a solid defense on Niles Hudson's behalf and the jury decided to give Hudson his long-awaited parole. That afternoon, Hudson stepped out of the prison a free man, greatly surprised when a limousine met him outside the prison gates. The chauffeur bowed and opened the door.

"Dr. Hudson, Colonel Stryker has asked that I retrieve you." said the driver.

"Fine, fine. Let's get this over with." said Hudson, angling into the limo's plush seating. A bowl of frozen shrimp with a side of cocktail sauce and a mimosa. Hudson was not one who cared much for these kind of luxuries. But having spent three years in the prison, Hudson allowed himself a moment to enjoy this.

He surveyed the layout of food with a hungry eye before dipping a curled shrimp into the red sauce and bitting the fleshy morsel away from the tail. While he ate, the plied the driver with questions, which the driver refused to answer—his only response was "You will learn all you need to know when you see Colonel Stryker." After here that response a few times, Hudson finally let it drop.

When they stopped at a light, the door opened and an older gentleman stepped in. He was well dressed in a formal, military-style uniform and his salt and pepper hair hidden beneath the cap perched forward on his head. The bars on his shoulder told Hudson this man was a Colonel and Hudson realized he was meeting William Stryker. Stryker wasn't alone. Sylvester slipped in and took the seat across from Hudson, briefcase sitting across his knees.

"Good afternoon, Dr. Hudson." Sylvester said, smiling like a kid who won the Scripps National Spelling Bee. "I trust I find you well?"

"Mr. Perroni." Hudson said. He eyeballed the decorated war veteran, not bothering to answer Sylvester's question. "Colonel Stryker, I presume."

"That I am, Dr. Hudson." Stryker said. "I'm sure you're wondering about a great deal of things so I'll cut right to the chase. I want you to continue working on Project 48."

"I understand that much, Colonel." Hudson said, bluntly. "My only question is how you propose I do this? I can't make another Mutant fetus."

"It will be simpler than you think, Dr. Hudson." Stryker said. He nodded to Sylvester who opened his briefcase.

"You see, Doctor, you won't need to make a Mutant fetus like you did last time." Sylvester said, sorting through his notes.

"Then you do you suggest I continue the project?" Hudson asked.

Sylvester handed a manilla folder to Hudson. Once opened, any confusion Hudson had vanished. The folder contained images of a feline Mutant. White fur, purple eyes and tail. Its four arms crossed over a narrow chest as it lounged on a bench in the mall with two girls. A smile turned up the corners of its lipless mouth. It seemed to be healthy and well-fed. Its appearance exactly how Hudson expected it to be when it was born.

"MewTwo's alive?" Hudson said.

"Yes. And living with the X-Men." Stryker said.

"Well, that just won't do." Hudson said. "We need to get it away from them and fast."

"I agree." The colonel said. "However, that would be a problem. The X-mansion has a tight security system. Only pre-approved individuals can make it through those gates."

"Then we'll have to force our way in." said Hudson. "We'll barge through those gates and demand they give MewTwo to us. It was grown in my lab, therefore it belongs to me. They'll have no choice _but _to give it to me."

"MewTwo has joined the X-Men." said Sylvester. "Xavier's team is not the kind to give up one of their own willingly."

"They'll have no choice." Hudson repeated.

"It doesn't matter. They'll still try to protect it." Sylvester said.

"Then how do you suggest we take it away?" Hudson asked.

"We have our ways." Stryker said. "Don't worry. You'll have MewTwo in your possession by the end of the week."

"How?" Hudson demanded with absolute firmness.

Stryker and Sylvester gave each other knowing looks. "Show him." Stryker said.

Sylvester removed one more file from his briefcase and passed it over to Hudson. The first page featured a mugshot of a woman and a name. Further data revealed that the woman was a Mutant and that she was a metamorph.

"My god!" said Hudson. "It's brilliant!"

Stryker grinned. "I'm glad you think so."

-X-

On the outside to Moira MacTaggert, the Xavier Institute hadn't changed. But Moira knew Xavier. She knew the man was obsessively protective about his students. She knew he had beefed up security some since the Alcatraz Island fiasco.

Mutant-haters and rival Mutants were usually turned away by the sight of blaster cannons and flame throwers. Not Moira. Her DNA had been imprinted into the system a long time ago. As she drove her cute, little, red Neon up to the gates and place her hand over the scanner, the security system was disarmed and Moira was allowed to enter into the company of friends.

Xavier met Moira on the threshold of the Institute's foyer along with Scott, Jean, Hank, Ororo, and Logan. All were smiling warmly at the youngish-looking doctor they had come to know and Moira returned their smiles.

"Charles." She said, dropping her suitcase on the foyer and moving to greet her friend. She knelt so she was eye-level with Xavier and allowed him to clasp her hands in his.

"Moira, I'm so glad you could come." Xavier said.

"I'm glad I could be here, Charles." said Moira. "We have a lot to catch up on."

"Yes. Yes we do." Xavier said. "But first, let's get you settled. I'm sure you'll want to meet the new students yourself. Not just MewTwo."

"Of course. But I am interested in seeing MewTwo's powers in action. How gifted is she?" Moira said.

"Trust me, you won't be disappointed." said Logan, grabbing her bags off the floor.

"She is an interesting specimen, if I do say so myself." Hank said, proudly.

Moira hugged hank, kissed Scott on the cheek, and squeezed Jean and Ororo. Logan, who wasn't much of a touchy-feely person, only grunted a hello before ascending the stairs to Moira's guest room. Xavier took the elevator, dismissing the others to do as they chose. He found Logan and Moira in the only empty room in the mansion. Moira was talking up a storm as she put things away and Logan stood against he wall, vaguely interested in what she had to say about bygone days. Xavier felt a little bad for Logan and asked if he had anything planned for the children that day.

"Yeah. I suppose I do, actually." said Logan, leaving the room to change into his uniform.

Xavier faced his friend. "Moira, I hope your visit isn't _just _because of MewTwo. She's been living with us for three years now. If she wanted to harm us, she would've done it already. Trust me, there's not a mean bone in her body."

"It's not just because of MewTwo, Charles, though that is one of the reasons why I'm here. The other is that I've been thinking about expanding my horizons. My clinic is now as successful as I hoped it would be. I feel like I need to start looking into opening a new clinic here in Westchester." Moira said.

"That's not a band thing to think about, but what about your clinic back home?" Xavier said.

"I'll still be watching over it." Moira said. "But like all businesses, I need to expand my horizons. Besides, my workers back home have everything under control. I can leave Gabriella in charge while I work out the bugs."

Xavier smiled. "I'm glad you have plenty of confidence in your employees that you can leave them to watch the clinic."

"They're all great individuals, but Gabbie's been there longer than the others. If I was going to leave the clinic to anyone, it would be Gabbie." Moira said. "I just wish she would be more confident in her abilities. Charles, she's an excellent healthcare provider. You should see her with children. But she's a nervous wreck when it comes to making decisions."

"Have you been making all the decisions?" Xavier asked.

"I've left some of the decisions. Mostly the easy ones and we progressed to the more difficult ones. But, to make the decisions of a clinic head, she breaks out in a sweat. I'm hoping my hiatus will help her." Moira said.

The two were quiet while Moira sat on the bed with her hands clasped in her lap.

"Any problems with your students in the decision-making department?" Moira asked.

"No. Jean is confident in her abilities, Scott is headstrong, Ororo has no problem with leading. Hank and Logan . . . well you know how they are."

"Yes. Any of the others?"

"My youngest ones are working on it. My oldest are getting there."

"And . . . MewTwo?"

"MewTwo's a different story. She has a lot of powers and most of them could be dangerous if left to the imagination. She gets nervous about using some abilities, but she doesn't think twice about using others. I did lay out a few rules with her which she follows. Aside from that, there hasn't been a problem with her." Xavier said. "Would you like to meet her, still?"

Moira nodded.

"_MewTwo, can you come to the guest room please?"_

Within a few minutes, MewTwo appeared in the doorway. She looked haggard and rolled over. Xavier raised an eyebrow at her.

"_Are you feeling alright?"_ he asked her.

"_Just a little tired."_ MewTwo said. _"That's all. Danger Room session was a little draining this morning."_

"_Then you make sure you take a nap. I'll have Sarah wake you up when supper's ready."_ Xavier said, surprising himself in the fatherly tone he was using with her.

"_Okay."_ MewTwo said. She stretched and scratched her head. _"See you at supper, Professor."_

"_Wait. There's someone I want you to meet, MewTwo. Can you stay awake long enough to meet her?"_ Xavier asked.

"_I guess so."_ MewTwo said, her eyes slid up to Moira.

"You must be MewTwo." Moira said, rising and approaching her. She held out her hand, surprised when MewTwo accepted a handshake. But even more surprised by the warmth in her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you." Moira was pleased. She was able to hide the surprise in her voice. "My name is Moira MacTaggert."

"_The pleasure is all mine, Dr. MacTaggert."_ MewTwo said, stuffing her arms back into her hooded sweatshirt pocket.

Moira jumped at MewTwo's response and looked at Xavier with a raised eyebrow.

"MewTwo is telepathic. That's her only mode of communication." Xavier said.

"I see." Moira said. "How did you know I was a doctor?"

"_When you touched me, I received some of your memories and some knowledge about you. Among that was the fact you're a doctor . . . and you don't trust me."_ MewTwo said.

"I wouldn't say I don't trust you." Moira said. "I just don't trust your maker."

MewTwo cocked her head. _"You knew Niles Hudson?"_

"We went to school together." Moira admitted.

"_What was he like?"_ MewTwo asked.

Moira sighed, not wanting to say anything that might mislead MewTwo or give her the wrong impression. Instead, she resorted to a neutral response. "He's the kind you don't really want to meet."

"_Okay."_ MewTwo said. Her telepathy sounded curiously accepting of Moira's response. Moira quickly decided that Xavier had already discussed the matter of Niles Hudson with her. _"Again, it's a pleasure to have met you, Dr. MacTaggert. I hope you have a pleasant stay here."_

"Thank you, MewTwo. You have yourself a nice nap and I'll see you later." Moira said.

MewTwo nodded her thanks, inclined her head to the professor, and went back to her room. Once she was gone, Xavier watched Moira's expression; wondering what could be going on in her head but not daring to read her mind without her permission.

"Well, Moira? What did you think?" Xavier asked.

"You have to ask?" Moira said, looking at him.

"Reading someone's thoughts isn't my way. You should understand that, Moira." Xavier answered.

Moira stared at him with a smile. "Well, I like MewTwo. She seems friendly and very polite. And she doesn't look very strong."

"Appearances can be deceiving." Xavier reminded her.

"Yes. This I know." Moira told him. "I'm guessing most of her powers lie in her mind."

"Yes. She has limitless power that could be dangerous if left simply to her imagination."

"You do realize that once Niles Hudson gets out of prison and finds out MewTwo is alive, he'll want her now more than ever?"

"Yes. I know. Which is precisely why she hardly ever leaves the mansion. I did have Kitty and Sarah take her to the mall to help work on her concentration. I wanted her to learn how to separate all the background noise and pinpoint where each thought was coming from. We could have conducted this experiment here, but MewTwo is able to recognize each of our voices. I needed a neutral location with plenty of people. The mall was the best place to be."

"I see." Moira said. "I just hope none of this gets back to Hudson."

"As do I."

-X-

MewTwo was well-known for her obedience. When the professor told her to take a nape, she want to bed without complaint and fell asleep. But her dreams grew increasingly strange, stranger than normal and she often awoke in a tightly curled ball. She would take a breath and force herself to relax before falling asleep again.

"Hey, Mew. Supper's ready." Marrow said, shaking her roommate awake. "Ororo's made chicken pot pie."

MewTwo stretched and slipped out of bed. As she and Marrow lumbered down the hall, Marrow suddenly noticed that MewTwo was staggering as though dizzy. She grabbed MewTwo by her third hand, surprised by the heat of her palm.

"You okay?" She asked.

"_Yeah. I just have a small headache."_ MewTwo answered.

"Do you want to skip supper and go back to sleep?"

"_No. I'm hungry."_

The two puttered onward. MewTwo leaned against the banister while she made her way downstairs. Twice, she lost her footing and Marrow had to grab her before she tumbled down the stairs. The second time Marrow saved MewTwo, she suggested MewTwo go back to bed; she would bring a mud of pot pie to her before long. But MewTwo stubbornly answered that she would not lay around and be waited on hand and foot.

"_I will eat with you."_

Marrow finally relented; knowing how useless it was trying to argue. But she kept her eye on MewTwo in case there would be another accident. Aside from the awkward gait, there didn't seem to be anything actually wrong. Until Max sat in her spot at the table and barely ate. She claimed she wasn't really all that hungry; literally picking at the tender biscuit floating on top of the thick soup of chicken broth and vegetables.

"Are you feeling alright, MewTwo?" the professor asked.

"_Tired, dizzy, and I'm not really hungry."_ MewTwo said.

"Then perhaps you should go back to bed." Ororo gently suggested, taking MewTwo's bowl and placing it in the fridge. "I can heat this up for you when you're feeling better." She hadn't missed that MewTwo had only managed a few bites of her pot pie. Storm was a very good cook and was not the least bit offended when someone could not eat what she fixed.

MewTwo politely excused herself and headed up the stairs to her room. Once she was out of earshot, Jean leaned close to Xavier.

"I think something's wrong with MewTwo. She's been sick before but not like this. She's never said she was dizzy."

"Yes, I know. It could be some sort of flu or bug going around. Either way, I don't actually think we need to worry." Xavier said. "Let her rest, she'll be fine."

"I was hoping to see some of her powers in action." Moira said, with disappointment.

"We'll see how she's feeling in the morning." Xavier told her, calmly.

During the night, though, MewTwo's dreams were feverish and discombobulated. She was sweating but continued to add layers of clothing because she felt cold. Not to mention what she had eaten of the pot pie didn't sit well with her. Instead of spitting up black "stomach coal" as was the norm, everything came up in liquid and solid form; bypassing the usual digestion route and only settling in her first stomach. MewTwo spent half the night hugging the toilet; vomiting and heaving until her stomach was empty. Having gone through a few sick days, MewTwo filled a bottle with water and kept it by the bed so she wouldn't dehydrate.

Once morning arrived, Wolverine yanked students and X-Men out of bed; allowing no mercy. By the time he got to Marrow and MewTwo's room, Marrow as already in her uniform and MewTwo was still curled up in bed.

"Mew, you ready for Danger Room session?" Wolverine asked.

"Probably not. She spent a lot of the night being acquainted with the porcelain throne." Marrow retorted.

Logan pulled back his hood and sat on MewTwo's bed. His hand crept along the back of her neck; stunned by the rise in temperature beneath his palm. Then, he noticed the layers of shirts, sweatshirts, and knitted panchos she wore.

"Do I need to call Beast?" Logan asked.

"_I hope not."_ MewTwo said. Knowing Beast, he would continue to fuss over her throughout the day.

"I'll send Beast up just to check on you. Meanwhile, you try to stay hydrated. I'll come up and see how you're doing after Logan sessions." Logan said.

"_Okay. See you later."_ MewTwo said, going back to sleep.

Beast did check on her and did nothing else besides using an ear thermometer to check her temperature. But since she was wearing so many layers, he couldn't figure out if she was just too warm from the layers or just plain feverish. She was sleeping so well by that time that Beast decided not to awaken her, but he did decide to check on her later.

He checked on her every so often, testing her temperature each time. He didn't wake her up until mealtimes to ask if she was hungry. Any mention of food, however, turned MewTwo's stomach. Beast gave her a tablet to settle her stomach but that did little to enhance her appetite. MewTwo's condition only worsened as the night wore on.

Marrow, annoyed that MewTwo had managed to get out of Logan sessions, had her patience tried when MewTwo started sending telepathic moans.

"Dingbat, I swear to God, if you don't shut up, I will stab you." Marrow growled.

Another moan."

_Shut up!_ Marrow thought, knowing MewTwo would hear her.

There was a loud thud as MewTwo suddenly landed on the floor, upper arms clutching at her chest. Marrow whipped around at the sound and screamed for help; their bedroom doorway becoming crowded with curious students. Beast muscled his way through and crouched by MewTwo, demanding to know what was wrong. MewTWo didn't answer, only telepathically groaning. Then, Jean appeared, and she looked grim.

"Hank, she's having a Myocardial Infarction." she said.

Hank's blood ran cold. Only a scientist would understand the meaning behind those words.

MewTwo was having a heart attack.


	7. Long Night

_Sorry it's taken so long to get these out there. This is a two-chapter update. I had 8 already written and I like to get chapters up as soon as they're done. However, while I had these two pretty much finished, tragedy struck my family and I had to hold off on the updating for a while. Our beloved family matriarch has now passed away. Yes, my grandmother died on monday, 11-12-12, her 57 wedding anniversary. Therefore, this chapter is written and posted in her memory._

_This is an operating room chapter. Well, a good portion of it is. Since most of you don't know medical jargon, I have included definitions at the bottom of the page. I tried to explain it as best I could but medical dictionaries are so full of jargon themselves it might be confusing. Anyway, I want to take a moment to give you some warning signs.  
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1) A feeling of strangulation  
>2) A prolonged, oppressive pain or unusual discomfort in teh center of the chest that may radiate to the left shoulder and down the arm<br>3) Abnormal perspiring  
>4) Sudden, intense shortness of breath<br>5) Nausea or vomiting  
>6) Occasionally a loss of consciousness<p>

_Heart attacks are tricky little boogers. They come on like a flu or a cold. Normally, you don't know it's a heart attack until it's almost too late. My dad had one when i was 10 and my grandpa was discovered to have 7 blockages a year later. I lost two church friends and an uncle to this. Oh, and there is a reason why MewTwo has one, too, but you'll have to read 8 to find out._

_Disclaimer: I don't own either X-Men or MewTwo. If you haven't heard of a person or thing, assume it's mine. RIP Grandma Iris. I miss you.  
><em>

* * *

><p>Chapter Seven<br>Long Night

* * *

><p><em>That can't be right!<em> Beast thought. His feral eyes suddenly fixed on MewTwo's shaking form. All four arms were clenched at her chest and her jaws were tight; teeth exposed. In the light of the nightstand, all could see her fur was slick with sweat and could hear her quickening breaths. _But she's only three, chronologically. Seventeen, biologically._

Moira immediately leaped into action. "We haven't got much time." She said. "We have to get those arteries clear. Dr. McCoy, please take MewTwo to the infirmary."

Her voice snapped Beast out of his revelry. Without having to be told twice, he pulled MewTwo into his arms and stood up. Immediately, the students stepped out of the way as the good doctor swept by them. No sooner had he gotten through the door than Nightcrawler was on his shoulder.

"Grab on." He said to Moira and Jean.

Without thinking about it, both women grabbed onto Kurt and was teleported to the infirmary. There, Beast lay MewTwo out on the operating table and slipped into the surgeon's smock. Kurt lingered in the room a while; his expression worried.

"She vill be alright, von't she, Doc?" Kurt asked.

Beast didn't want to worry Kurt. He and MewTwo had developed a sort of closeness akin to brother and sister. But MewTwo's anatomy was different than the one Beast had once learned to deal with in Medical School. Instead of lying, Hank turned and said, "We'll try our best."

Kurt nodded and was gone in a puff of smoke.

Beast looked back at MewTwo. Jean was already stripping the patient out of the layers of clothing and stuffing her into a surgical gown while Moira grabbed the necessary materials to start the operation. Beast stepped up behind Moira.

"How well do you understand the cardiovascular system?" He asked, watching Jean fumble with the heart monitor strips.

"I studied cardiology in medical school." Moira answered, arranging syringes and other tools on a paper-covered tray. "You really shouldn't have to ask, Dr. McCoy."

"Well, just to warn you, MewTwo's body is a little different. That may complicate some things." Beast said.

"I can manage." Moira said.

"Welcome aboard." Beast said. He nodded to Jean. "Start her on an IV drip. We may need to do a heart catheterization."

MewTwo's hand wrapped around Jean's wrist, causing the woman to looking into the terrified face of their patient. The heart monitor's monotonous beeping escalated and Jean knew she needed to get MewTwo to calm down. Severe angina[1] should not be aggravated by elevated heart rate.

"_Heart catheterization?"_ MewTwo said, fear tinging her mental voice. Her purple eyes searched Jean's face.

Jean took MewTwo's hand and squeezed it. "It's just to see what we need to do. You do trust us, right?"

MewTwo swallowed, then nodded. _"Yes. Yes I trust you."_ She laid her head back and tried to relax.

Jean tied a tight, rubber tourniquet just above MewTwo's elbow, then inserted the IV needle into a raised vein. The process of finding a vein big enough to fit the needle was pain-staking. Over the years, Wolverine and Beast tried to get MewTwo to build muscle but the tissue refused to grow. When Jean inserted the needle, she had to be careful not to miss—or dig because MewTwo hated both—otherwise she could be blasted into a wall at a moment's notice. All the while, she calmly spoke to the panicky Mutant; telling her what they were going to do. At the moment, keeping MewTwo calm was essential because she would be awake during most of the procedure.

"Line in place, Dr. McCoy." Jean said.

"Thank you, Dr. Grey." Beast said. "Start the local anesthesia[2]." He added to Moira.

"Location?" Moira asked, picking up a syringe.

"Left leg." Beast said. "Dr. Gray, please prepare the heart cath."

MewTwo's hand tightened on Jean's. _"Please don't go."_

Jean leaned over and stroked MewTwo's head. "It'll be okay, Mew. You'll be fine."

MewTwo released her hold on Jean's hand so the operation could continue. Jean hauled out a machine and opened a package containing a flexible catheter. Meanwhile, Moira carefully injected the anesthetic into MewTwo's leg.

"We are ready to begin, Doctor." Jean said, adapting to her role as nurse quite nicely.

"Okay." Beast said, snapping on a pair of gloves. "Let's begin." He moved to MewTwo's hips and felt along the joint until he found _it_: a sizable artery—the femoral artery[3]. Marking the spot with a claw, he held his other hand out to Jean. "Needle."

Obediently, Jean handed a hollow needle to Beast. Beast inserted the needle into the artery, being extra careful not to pierce it all the way through. Even with the local anesthesia, MewTwo could feel most of what was going on, and she was very unpleasant when made uncomfortable.

"Wire." Beast instructed, this time to Moira. Moira handed it to him and he fed it into the artery. "Jean, provide me with an ultrasound view."

Jean picked up the hand-held wand and switched on the machine. A black and white image of MewTwo's femoral artery appeared. With the view now clear, Beast carefully fed the line through the arterial system, stopping just as he came to her coronary artery. Once there, Jean switched off the ultrasound.

"Sheef." Beast instructed. Moira passed a tube to Beast who removed the needle and put the sheef in its place. "Blood thinners."

Jean selected a syringe from the line-up on the tray and injected its contents into the IV line. "Blood thinners in, Doctor." she said.

"Okay, here with go with the catheter. Moira, be ready with the dye4. Jean, switch to fluoroscope mode." Beast said.

"Yes, Doctor." The women said. Jean switched the ultrasound over to fluoroscope mode and positioned the probe over MewTwo's heart. After announcing she was ready, Moira injected a small amount of harmless dye through the catheter. The three surgeons watched the results while holding their breaths.

As the dye spread inside MewTwo's heart—entering veins and arteries—two, white spots appeared on the screen. One was about three inches in length, the other was a half-inch in length. Beast immediately began rapping out orders, wondering why he was suddenly head-surgeon on this case.

"I need a heart-lung machine, a clamp, a spreader, and cables. Jean, I need you to shave her chest. Moira, don't forget the oscillating saw. This calls for CABS[5]."

As Jean picked up the electric razor, MewTwo reached over and grabbed Jean's arm. _"A saw? What does he need a saw for?"_

"You need to relax, MewTwo. You have severe chest pain. Panicking is only going to make it worse." Jean said.

"_But what's the saw for?"_

"Jean, give her some Propofol[6]." Beast said.

Jean put the razor down, grabbed the syringe labeled PROPOFOL, and injected it into MewTwo's IV; grateful that Beast had called for general anesthesia so she could avoid telling her what the saw was for. Once the Propofol spread through MewTwo's blood system, Jean placed a breathing mask over their patient's face. Then, Jean shaved a line of fur from MewTwo's chest. When the operating site was clear, the rest of the procedure could begin.

Beast stepped up and took a scalpel in his hand; drawing an eight-inch incision down MewTwo's chest. Jean carefully peeled the skin apart; exposing the breastbone. Beast set the scalpel aside and picked up the oscillating saw.

"Be careful, Doc." Jean said.

Beast gritted his teeth behind his mask. "I know."

The room echoed with the sound of vibrating metal against hard bone. Within seconds, the sternum was split from top to bottom. A retractor was inserted into the spot and ribs were thrust apart. Beast set the saw aside and picked up the saw again; this time, drawing a line through MewTwo's paracardium[7]—being extra careful not to draw the line too deeply.

Hooks were inserted into the paracardium and pulled the membrane up and out of the way; exposing the drug-laced heart, which was beating at a fast, but oddly steady rate.

Beast located the aorta[8] and the right atrium[9] with ease; relieved MewTwo's heart wasn't much different from that of a Human's. He held out a gloved hand. "Canulla[10]."

Moira opened the packages that contained the requested tubes. After unfolding each one, she passed one end to Beast and the other was attacked to the heart-lung machine. Once the machine was switched on, the blood was carried from the aorta, through a reservoir and oxygenator, then back into the right atrium. Two smaller tubes were inserted into the chambers, too. These carried a potassium solution which preserved the heart muscle during surgery. But, it also stopped the heart.

Right away, as the heart was cooled due to the cooling of the blood in the machine, the beating slowed. Beast watched the muscle for a moment before holding out a hand.

"Clamp."

Jean handed him a special clamp which he placed over the aorta; stopping the blood flow. Then, they waited for the line to flatten out.

"Okay, we're past the point of no return. Time to finish this." Beast said. "Moira, I need a saphenous vein[11]. Take it from the right leg."

"Coming right up." Moira said, shaving a spot above MewTwo's ankle clean, she made an incision, used a pair of forceps to prop up the vein, then ran a hook up MewTwo's leg to the knee where she snipped it apart; separating it from the joints.

While Moira carefully joined the two ends to adjoining veins to continue the circulation, Beast and Jean continued working on MewTwo's exposed heart. They connected the ends of the sapenous vein to the aorta, then to the right ventricle[12]. That done, Beast removed the clamp and touched the heart with a pair of metal paddles; watching as the heart slowly started beating again. As the rhythm continued to normal, the canulla were removed the the holes closed with sutures[13].

"Okay. So far so good." Beast said. "Let's close her up."

"What about the other blockage?" Jean asked.

Beast looked at the smaller blockage. He had been so bent on working around the bigger one that he hadn't even thought about the less-menacing one.

"We'll use a stent[14] on that one." He said. "Prepare an angioplasty[15]. I'll finish up here."

"Okay." Jean said. She handed him the forceps with the tiny needle and moved to prepare another catheter.

Beast closed the paracardium and stitched it shut. Then, he released the retractor. Moira, having finished with her chore of sealing the extraction site, came up and held MewTwo's sternum closed while Beast twisted twenty-one strips of wires; holding the broken ribcage together.

"Let's get some chest tubes[16] in." Beast said.

"Already on it." said, Moira. She was, indeed, opening a couple packages of long, thin tubes. She carefully slipped the tubes at an angle into the chest area. On the other end, she attached a plastic bag and they watched as small amounts of bloody fluid trickled into the bag.

The skin was, then, allowed to cover over the wound-site and was sutured together. That done, Moira carefully laid down a few layers of bandages to prevent the stitches from tearing out and keep out the threat of infection.

"Catheter ready." Jean announced, holding up the hollow tube topped with a metal spring and a balloon.

"Good, Dr. Gray." Beast said. "Dr. MacTaggert, please keep an eye on the fluoroscope. Jean, start feeding it up to the blockage site."

Jean carefully removed the heart catheter and slowly threaded the balloon-tipped one into the patient's coronary artery. Once there, Jean flipped a switch and the balloon expanded; thrusting the stent into the artery walls.

"Stent in place." Jean said.

"Okay, take it out." Beast said.

Jean deflated the balloon and slowly guided the catheter out of the artery. However, no sooner had it left than the artery collapsed. MewTwo's vitals plummeted.

"Quick! Get it back in!" Beast said.

Jean slid the catheter back into place and inflated the balloon. Much to everyone's relief, her vitals returned to normal.

"Hank, I'm afraid if we pull it out again, she might not make it." Jean said, hand still on the catheter.

"I know. We'll just have to leave it in. So far, the worst is over. We'll just monitor her vitals overnight and make sure nothing changes." Beast said. "Let's get her out of here and into the infirmary."

"Yes, Doctor." the women said.

Moira grabbed a stretcher and Jean positioned the portable angioplasty machine by MewTwo's legs. Carefully, the team transferred MewTwo onto the stretcher and she was carted out to one of the hospital beds. New sensors were attached to keep track of heart rate and blood pressure. Then, Jean covered her with a quilt.

"Listen." Beast said. "You guys get some sleep. I'll stay down here and watch her."

"No, Hank." said Jean. "I'll watch her tonight. You get some rest."

One look at Jean's green eyes and Hank knew better than to argue. He let out a sigh. "Okay, Jean. You win. Just make sure you get some sleep too. And keep an eye on her."

"Yes, Doctor." Jean said.

She changed back into her pajamas, disposing of the dirty scrubs. As she did that, Moira went back to the OR and cleaned up; washing utensils in a disinfectant, throwing out used tubes and table cloth. Once the OR looked as though it hadn't been used, Moira came back out and took one last look at MewTwo's vitals.

"How old is she?" Moira asked.

"Biologically, she looks about seventeen. In all actuality, she was found three years ago in Niles Hudson's lab." Jean said.

"Still too young for this." Moira said. "Do you think Hudson might've done something to her just in case?"

Jean smiled. "Why Moira, I didn't know you were psychic."

Moira smiled, too, but she was being serious. "Look, I haven't seen the extent of her power. I know that if left to the imagination, she could prove to be dangerous."

"That's right." Jean said.

"So, what if Hudson knew that? What if he wanted to control her and to do that he needed a way to immobilize her so he could shorten the leash?"

"You think he caused this?"

"It's possible."

Jean remained deep in thought. Yes, it was possible. But, programming the body wasn't the same as programming a computer. There had to be something else.

She yawned. "We'll figure it out in the morning." She said. "For now, it's time for us to go to bed."

"Alright." Moira said. She waited for Jean to get settled into one of the hospital beds before leaving.

-X-

Mystique had broken into the X-Mansion many times before. Her keen mastery of acrobatics and her shape-shifting power made her a wrinkle in Xavier's suit for a long time in regards to security.

She waited, perched in a tree by the wall, watching the mansion with an expression of alert boredom. Just then, her ear piece crackled.

"_Move in."_

Mystique didn't have to be told twice. She leaped over the wall and dashed across the courtyard; stopping just below an open window. She took to hawk form and flew up into the window. There, she transformed back into her own body and settled into a rocking chair.

Mystique waited for what felt like hours; sitting in one spot so as not to draw attention to herself. To avoid detection, she closed off her mind then got up and spritzed herself with her target's perfume. Then, she sat back down. Just before she was beginning to lose patience, the door opened. Mystique quickly darted behind the door; delivering a blow to the victim's head and, thus, rendering Moira unconscious.

Mystique gathered Moira up onto her shoulders and carried her over to the window; using the downspout to scale down to the ground. She dashed across the lawn to the gate where Sabertooth was waiting.

"Here. Get rid of her. Tell Hudson to have his team ready to move when I call." She said.

"Alright." Sabertooth said. "Just you don't screw this up."

Mystique showed her teeth, then went back to work.

-X-

When morning came, Jean was already up and taking care of their patient. Surprisingly enough, MewTwo hadn't awaken from the anesthesia yet. Propofol wasn't meant to keep someone asleep for more than a few hours at a time. Despite that, MewTwo's vitals came out just like someone who had undergone a successful surgery. Depending on when she woke up, the chest tubes could be removed within a day or so.

Jean changed the IV bag, checked the settings on the angioplasty machine, changed the chest tube bag and the bandages across her chest and ankle, then switched MewTwo to a nasal respirator. After that, she tipped MewTwo's head back and fed a tube down her throat directly to her stomach. The other end was attached to a bag full of liquidized food. While MewTwo ate, Jean carefully drew blood for more tests.

Nothing. Aside from some impurities one would expect to find in a seventeen-year-old as well as an enzyme associated with blood clots, her blood looked fine. Nothing to suggest any tampering.

"How's it going?" Moira asked as she came into the room.

"Our assumptions Hudson did something was wrong." Jean answered.

Moira looked over Jean's shoulder. "Hmm, that's interesting. Is your equipment up to date?"

"About as up to date as we can get it." Jean said. "But this is a temporary care facility. We don't have the tools or technology to run full diagnostics."

"I know someone who does." Moira said. "He always has room for one more patient. I'll oversee everything. She'll be fine with us."

"Gee, Moira, I don't know—" Jean said.

"I do." Beast said. "Moira, if your friend can figure out what caused MewTwo to have a heart attack, then by all means have him pick her up. But we want her back here to finish recuperating when it's all be said and done. You cannot use her as a lab rat, am I understood?"

"Perfectly." Moira said. She took her cellphone out of her pocket. "I'll make the call. Be right back."

-X-

Mystique left the room and pressed speed-dial 2. She listened to it ring a few times before the line was picked up.

"It's me. We are clear to go." she said.

"Good job, Mystique. Once we have MewTwo, you are free to go." said Hudson.

* * *

><p>[1]Angina- A severe, often constricting pain or sensation of pressure<p>

[2]Local anesthesia- an anesthesia confined to one place on the body.

[3]Femoral artery- a large artery in the thigh that leads directly to the heart.

[4]Dye- a non-toxic fluid that, when injected into the cardiac system, reveals the location of blockages.

[5]CABS- Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

[6]Propofol- One of the strongest of general anesthetics.

[7]Paracardium- A thin membrane that encases and protects the heart.

[8]Aorta- A large artery that is the main trunk of the arterial system.

[9]Right atrium- The right, upper chamber of the heart.

[10]Canulla- A tube that can be inserted into a cavity as a channel for the transport of fluid or passage of instruments.

[11]Saphenous vein- A vein that runs the entire length of the leg, starting at the big toe and traveling up to the thigh.

[12]Right ventricle- The right, lower chamber of the heart.

[13]Sutures- Stitches.

[14]Stent- A mesh 'tube' inserted into a natural passage/conduit in the body to prevent, or counteract, a disease-induced, localized flow constriction

[15]Angioplasty- A balloon-tipped catheter used to open a blocked bloodstream; often the method of inserting a stent.

[16]Chest tubes- A flexible, plastic tube inserted into the chest area to remove air, fluids, or pus.


	8. Answers

_Okay, last chapter was an operating scene. Not too bad now was it? I tried to make it fairly accurate and I had to watch a few youtube videos on live procedures to figure everything out._

_Now, just so you know, angiopasty and coronary artery bypass surgery are two methods to heart attack surgeries. another one is called atherectomy which is like an angioplasty except that, instead of a balloon, there's a blade that cuts up the plaque and a vaccum that sucks it out. I picked two of the most common ones. My grandfather had a CABS and my father had an angioplasty with a couple of stents.  
><em>

_Anyway, let's get on with the chapter. I hope you like what I have so far. Questions will be answered and maybe more questions will be raised. Maybe.  
><em>

_Disclaimer: I don't own either X-Men or MewTwo. If you haven't heard of a person or thing, assume it's mine.  
><em>

* * *

><p>Chapter Eight<br>Answers

* * *

><p>When MewTwo awoke, she was in an infirmary, but not in the the infirmary at the X-mansion. Heart and blood pressure monitors beeped by her head. The stiffness in her left leg told her the angioplasty was still inserted through a major artery. A bandage still plastered across her chest was cleaner than the one used after her coronary artery bypass surgery. Whoever it was who had her now was going through the motions of taking care of her.<p>

She moved her head ever so slightly, realizing just how tired she was even now that the anesthesia had worn off. Her purple eyes flicked around the room, picking up small details of the area around her. It looked like a very clean environment. Perhaps even cleaner than Beast's own infirmary.

A set of doors hissed open, drawing MewTwo's attention to a tall man leaning on a cane. He maneuvered his thin body around tables and sat down beside MewTwo's bed. His demeanor and fatherly appearance set MewTwo's fears to rest. She was suddenly comfortable with him even as he touched her hand.

"Hello, MewTwo. My name is Blaine Calhoon." the man said.

"_Blaine?" _MewTwo said._ "How do you know my name?"_

"Because, I was the one who made you." Blaine said, casually.

"_You did? But . . . I thought Niles Hudson—"_

"Yes. Dr. Hudson funded and founded the project. But I was the lead researcher on the payroll then."

Blaine's light eyes scanned MewTwo from head to toe, noticing the angioplasty machine and the catheter creeping out from beneath the blankets. He looked and saw the bandage over her chest.

"Oh. I see why you failed to resist capture. You're sick right now, aren't you?"

MewTwo nodded. _"Yes. Dr. McCoy called it a Midocardial Infartion."_

"Myocardial Infarction." Blaine gently corrected. "It means 'death to the heart muscles' in Latin, believe it or not."

"_Why did it happen? I was healthy. It came on so suddenly and so unexpectedly. It happened like a flu during the night." _MewTwo said.

"We—we designed it that way." Blaine admitted, quietly.

MewTwo gave a shudder as the balloon inflated inside her heart, opening a collapsing artery. Concern showed on Blaine's face and he moved to adjust a setting on the machine. MewTwo relaxed and took a few shaky breaths. Blaine sat down and continued speaking.

"See, you were expected to be a very powerful Mutant. Too powerful, in fact. Dr. Hudson wanted you to be on a short leash. He wanted to make sure you could never betray him. So, he had a chemical inserted in your bloodstream while you were in the earliest stages of fetal development. That was one of Dr. Hudson's brilliant ideas."

MewTwo didn't think it sounded brilliant. And judging by Blaine's words, he didn't think so either.

"_What chemical? What does it do?"_

"It's a chemical you've never heard of. It's called 'plaquerides'. What it does is cause an overload of calcium deposits in your blood, forming clots; especially in the cardiac system. However, it doesn't happen right away. When you're born, you possess no bacteria or impurities in your blood. As you age, you develop these impurities. This chemical injected into you reacts to those impurities. It just happened to give you a heart attack."

"_Why that? Do you have any idea how much it hurt?"_ The balloon inflated again and MewTwo flinched. Blaine noticed and turned the dial down a notch. _"How much it still hurts? My caretakers spent hour repairing the damage your chemical caused!"_

Blaine's expression softened. "I'm sorry, MewTwo. We didn't know it would be like that. Dr. Hudson wanted you to be stopped long enough for him to ensure your loyalty. However, since the project had been abandoned, if you had survived, it wouldn't have been for long."

"_Why did I survive? You said the project was abandoned, but there was still evidence of what you were doing. How is that possible?"_

"MewTwo, when Dr. Hudson—and the rest of his staff—were arrested for illegal genetic experimentation, there was a small window of opportunity in which I could take evidence, make copies, and hide the originals. I couldn't hide you, there wasn't enough time. Besides, the police had already seen you and, by taking you, they would've known someone was hiding evidence. they would have suspected everyone. No, I made sure I was the one who turned off your life support system. Then, when everything was gathered and the area cordoned off, everyone left. I returned at night after I was released—the police only questioned me to see if I had been forced into it, even though I had cosigned on the project—broke in, and planted everything and turned your life support back on. I wasn't worried about you. Judging by your size, then, you would have been born in only a few short days. I can see that you had made quite a few advancements since then, MewTwo. You've grown." Blaine said, proudly.

"_What was the point behind all that—making sure I lived and all? You knew I would likely die soon, so why tho through the motions of making me live?"_

MewTwo's telepathic voice sounded weaker. Blaine grew concerned for her; realizing all the pain and suffering she went through just to find relief from the chemical floating around in her blood. The angioplasty jammed up a major artery in her leg was helping to keep the coronary artery clear, but it wasn't enough. Blaine was supposed to convince MewTwo that submitting to Hudson's whim would prolong her life. But MewTwo didn't seem to care whether she lived or died. She only wanted the pain to go away, nothing more. And Blaine certainly didn't want this magnificent creature to fall under Hudson's thumb. Or worse, Colonel Stryker's.

Blaine swallowed and forced a smile on his face. "Look, MewTwo, when I agreed to take on Project 48, I wasn't thinking about the consequences of making a Mutant, nor was I concentrating on what would happen if we failed. I decided to knuckle down and finish the project.

"We failed to produce a viable embryo our first few attempts—the two DNA's didn't want to cooperate. The whole structure would just tear apart. My researchers wanted to stop the project but I wouldn't let them. I became obsessed with making you. I wanted this project to be completed so bad I could barely sleep at night.

"Then you were created. Just a tiny, little egg inside a test tube. And you grew into an embryo in a matter of days. We moved you into a small tank so you had room to grown and a larger one when you grew too big for that one. By the time you were nearing infancy, we had been found out.

"I wanted you to live, MewTwo, because you suddenly gave my life purpose. I had a real reason to live, a motive of sorts. I turned the life-support back on because . . . I was hoping you and I might meet again. I have all the answers you seek and more. You just have to ask."

MewTwo's fists clenched and Blaine saw the pain registering on her feline features. Looking up, he noticed that her IV bag was not nearly empty. She was beginning to feel her stitches as well as the angioplasty. Blaine stood up and called a nurse who came in, replaced the bag, and left. Then, he sat down again.

"Do you have any questions?" Blaine asked.

"_What was the purpose of making me?"_ MewTwo asked after a pause.

"Dr. Hudson and I had different views on how the project was to be done. Or what your future was going to be when we finished. I saw you as a goal. I wanted you to live and I saw you as my brainchild. Dr. Hudson wanted you to be a weapon. See, he hates all Mutants. You would be the perfect tool. Your psychic abilities would help you hunt down and eliminate anyone who was Mutant. I knew I had to shield you from it and while I had considered the fact that you would be discovered as alive and Dr. Hudson would want to get you back, I took a chance and revived you."

What happened next was completely unexpected. MewTwo reached across and yanked the IV needle out of her arm. _"I won't do it!"_ she shouted as alarm bells blared out an escaping patient warning around them. _"I won't betray the people who raised me! I won't kill them!"_

She struggled to rise but security guards rushed in and held her against the bed while a nurse practitioner injected a sedative into her system. Once MewTwo was back to sleep, the NP reinserted the needle, checked the angioplasty, and ordered everyone to leave. Everyone including Blaine. No sooner had Blaine stepped out than he was met by Hudson himself.

"I see things did not go well." Hudson said. His gray eyes fixed on Blaine's blue ones. "It would not accept my authority?"

"Not at the moment." Blaine answered. "It's sick, right now. Can you really expect it to submit yet?"

"Did you tell it about the antidote?" Hudson demanded, obviously caring less about its health than how he could get it to submit to him.

"I was getting to that." Blaine said. "But it panicked when it realized your plans for it." Blaine hesitated before continuing. "Dr. Hudson, that Mutant was raised by the X-Men. They took care of it even tot he point of reorganizing its cardiovascular system so it can live. You're not going to be able to convince it that killing Mutants is all right and good, even with the antidote. If anything, it would rather die than accept you as boss."

"That's where you're wrong, Dr. Calhoon." Hudson said, with a smile. "I have ways of forcing obedience in others that not even you can possibly fathom."

"I don't see how." Blaine said. "Unless if you have a really powerful psychic Mutant on hand that can bypass its mental blocks. I can't imagine you forcing obedience in anything."

Hudson's smirk broadened. "I'm sure you're curious to know my methodology in this matter." He said. He waved a hand at Blaine. "Let's walk. This is not for anyone's ears but your own."

Blaine followed Hudson to his office where he sat in a comfortable guest chair and waited as Hudson flipped through the contents of a filing cabinet until he came up with the appropriate folder.

"I'm sure you heard of Colonel William Stryker?"

Blaine nodded.

"Did you know that Stryker had a son named Jason?"

Another nod.

"Good. You're not as stupid as I think you are." Hudson smiled inwardly at the redness in Blaine's face, knowing full well he had touched a nerve. "Jason was a Mutant with the power to control people by creating realistic images in the mind of a target, making them believe what he wanted them to. Jason was handed over to Charles Xavier, the same man who founded the X-Men. But when Jason returned home, Stryker was astonished that Xavier had not been able to cure his son. Jason drove his parents mad with horrific images in their minds until Mrs. Stryker killed herself in an attempt to bore the scenarios out with a power drill. Since then, Jason was turned into a lab rat and Stryker realized that the fluid secreted by his brain could be used as a mind control device."

Blaine suddenly realized where this was going. It made sense now that he thought about it. Colonel Stryker was supporting the lab in more ways than one. "You—you didn't? You don't have any of that stuff, do you?"

"Actually, I do." Hudson said.

"Niles, we both know that stuff won't work on MewTwo. It's not strong enough! MewTwo will be able to fight it." Blaine said.

"Then we'll just have to keep MewTwo well-stocked with the stuff. A direct injection to the brain stem can control even the strongest of Mutants. Even ones as strong as Magneto aren't immune to it."

Blaine felt himself trembling with anger. "So, you're just going to force its obedience using brain fluid from another Mutant? I thought you hated Mutants, Niles, which is why you ordered for Project 48. Yet, here you are using yet another Mutant."

"I do hate Mutants. My parents' deaths at Mutant hands should be enough for you to understand. However, I have found some usefulness in Mutantkind. As long as they can be controlled." Hudson admitted.

A shiver went down Blaine's spine at this. _As long as they can be controlled?_ Blaine had encountered many Mutant-haters in his lifetime and while some were content just to avoid them as much as possible, others terrorized the Mutant community; killing or bullying those who were born with the extra gene. The highly powerful Humans were content with using or killing Mutants. Blaine realized they had all been the same. Even Warren Worthington the second had felt that way about Mutants, but he disguised his fear and hate for them by making "The cure".

"So, that's what this is all about? Be forced into submission if you're useful, or die?" Blaine didn't even wait for a response and, instead, continued on his rant. "America was founded on a basis of freedom. Our founding fathers never intended for people to be used or controlled. What you're doing is not only wrong, it's pathetic."

Hudson's eyes darkened. Blaine knew he was now treading dangerous waters. Hudson was dangerous when he was happy. Provoke his wrath and there was no telling what would happen.

"Be careful what you say, Dr. Calhoon. Need I remind you where you were before you were hired by me?"

"No. But what you're thinking of doing is not only dangerous, it's worng."

"MewTwo is _my _property. It was grown in _my _lab, under _my _supervision, created by a project that was funded by _my _money, made by _my _company and _my _sweat. I can do what I like with MewTwo. I can decide to let it live or die. The fact it was raised by X-men does nothing to change my mind. Nor does that change the fact _I_ still own it."

"But it is a person now. A sentient being. I was able to speak to it. It spoke to me about its caretakers and the people around it. It asked questions. It understood what I said."

"For God's sake, Blaine, it's a test tube baby! It's a cat walking on two legs! It's more animal than human!"

"But it can think!" Blaine said. "And it speaks."

"The ability to speak does not mean it's intelligent!" Hudson's face turned four shades of purple. Blaine's was turning red.

"It _is _intelligent, Niles!" Blaine said. "According to amendment thirteen, section one **'neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been unduly convicted, shall exist within the United States or any place subject to their jurisdiction'**."

Hudson smiled "They weren't thinking about test tube babies or lab grown Mutants when they wrote that amendment. In fact, they weren't even thinking about Mutants at all when that was written."

"I'm sure it was meant to apply to everyone." Blaine said. "Yet, you plan to force MewTwo into slavery through brainwashing. You are going too far."

Hudson sighed. "Then, I'm afraid I mist fire you, Blaine. This will not be easy for me. You are an excellent scientist and a good man. But you fail to see why I must do this. Good-bye, Blaine Calhoon."

Blaine stood up, angry now. "You don't know what you're dealing with, Niles. That Mutant will be your downfall if you continue to mess with powers beyond your control. Stop this nonsense before it's too late."

Without waiting for a response, Blaine left. Hudson watched him go; having no intention to either "stop this nonsense" nor respond to Blaine. As the door closed, Hudson broke a pen in half between his fingers; he ignored the black stains now spreading across his fingers and palms.

"Crazy old bat!" He said with a snarl.

-X-

Outside the door, Blaine leaned heavily upon the old cane. His hand tightened to a knuckle-whitening grip. He glared at the door with an intense stare.

"Ignorant old bastard." He growled.

Then, he turned and hobbled down the hall. He had no intention of going home. There was something that had to be done about Niles Julius Hudson. The police couldn't get involved—they would, no doubt, kill MewTwo themselves. So Blaine's only other option was to call upon another source.

-X-

Hudson paid a visit to the infirmary where MewTwo was now under heavy sedation. It remained unresponsive even as the balloon pump continued to open the coronary artery. But even while MewTwo was pathetically fragile in its post-MI state, Hudson saw it as a force to be reckoned with. However, in just its own skin, it doesn't look very formidable. Hudson wished there had been more time to make it more buff before its birth. But there hadn't be. So, Hudson needed another way.

_A suit!_

The idea came into his head when he saw a discarded magazine on a table. The NP on duty had been reading it earlier and was now filing her nails. Watching a sleeping, sick Mutant was more boring that watching paint dry. So long as she was able to tend to the Mutant when necessary, Hudson wasn't going to complain. In all actuality, he considered giving her a bonus now that he had seen the latest issue of Forbes magazine featuring Tony Stark in half of his Iron Man suit.

Anthony Stark was a multi-millionaire genius. His father, Howard, had designed Stark Industries from the ground up; making a name for himself and his son. Tony had long since returned to the states and took over his father's weapons-making business. But his attention had since shifted from manufacturing weapons to designing suits for his other persona: Iron Man.

It was fairly common knowledge that Tony Stark was Iron Man. He had admitted it himself only months after his return to the states from the Middle East. That was when Tony's eyes had been opened to the truth to what his missiles and guns were doing. Since that day, Iron Man had been born.

Hudson smiled and returned to his office; imagining his greatest creation is a suit of superb glory. He could see it now. Everyone would know this psychic assassin the moment they saw it.

Due to his status and his company's ranking in most profitable, Hudson had a list of contacts from his competitors. Tony Stark was on that list. Hudson made the call from his office phone and was a little annoyed when someone other than Tony answered.

"Stark Industries, Pepper Potts speaking. How may I help you?"

"Miss Potts. This is Dr. Hudson of HGC."

"Well hello, Dr. Hudson. How are you?" Pepper said, her voice losing its perkiness in such a way that Hudson was sure she didn't care one inkling about his health. He didn't care about her health either but answered her question anyway.

"I'm doing well, thanks. And you?"

"Well, having a boss like Tony does have its ups and downs. But I manage."

Hudson scowled. The way Pepper used Anthony's nickname with such ease and familiarity set him on edge. No secretary should be as close to their boss as Pepper seemed to be with Tony. It was disgusting. Hudson could only hope Tony wasn't doing her.

"What can I do for you, Dr. Hudson?" Pepper asked, keeping up the pretense of a civil secretary.

"I require Mr. Stark's assistance." Hudson said, getting straight to business.

"What _kind _of assistance, Dr. Hudson? I didn't know your company interests lay in nuclear warfare." Pepper said.

"They don't." Hudson admitted. "I need a suit."

There was a long pause. "Tony's suits aren't for sale."

"Those aren't the kind of suits I was thinking about. I need a custom-built suit for a specific body type."

More silence. Hudson knew Pepper was a smart woman—a characteristic he hated to see in women. But this was an exception. Hudson had no intention to say what he wanted outright.

He heard Pepper clear her throat. "Is this a _Mutant _body type?"

"Yes. Yes it is." Hudson said. Pepper now sounded on edge . . . and he loved it. Pepper needed to be put in her place.

Pepper swallowed. Hudson knew what she was thinking. She was just like everyone else; not seeing his reasons behind his desires and dreams. Why no one could see the future he had planned, he'll never understand.

"I don't think Tony would be interested in a project like that. He has a rather full schedule." Pepper finally said. Hudson heard the rustle of papers. Obviously, Pepper was trying to act like there was a schedule laying on the desk in front of her. Hudson thought she was trying to put on a good show.

"Let me talk to Mr. Stark." Hudson said, flatly. He arranged his tone so there would be no room for argument.

Pepper hesitated. Then, she sighed. "Okay. Let me get him." Pepper put the phone down.

Hudson waited a few minutes; drumming his fat fingers on the tabletop. Finally, he heard chattering. Sounded like Pepper and Tony conversing. Then, the phone was raised.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Mr. Stark. I have a proposition for you."

"I heard, Dr. Hudson. You want a suit for a Mutant. I have only one question. Where did you get that Mutant?" Tony said, cutting Hudson off.

Hudson was no stranger to lying and lying on the phone was much easier than he had anticipated. But he knew he had to keep a straight face. The slightest upward twitch of his mouth muscles would tighten his voice and raise it an octave. To keep Tony in the dark about MewTwo's real purpose, Hudson had to be clear and precise about what he was saying. He quickly formulated a story and hoped Tony would believe it.

"This Mutant is an SBM grown in my lab." He said.

"An SBM, really?" Tony sounded intrigued. Hudson knew he had Tony's attention now. "How'd you manage that?"

"Gene splicing." _So far so good with the truth._

"I thought it was illegal. Especially after the Alcatraz incident a few years back." Tony was annoyingly too attentive to the news. But then, the government hadn't even attempted to cover up the incident. The face that it happened at all had been broadcast all across the nation and online videos of the battle on Alcatraz went viral.

"We completed the project before the ban on genetic research on Homo Sapien Superior." _There's one lie._

"I see. And you're contacting me _now _about this why?"

Hudson considered the question and his answer carefully. Then, "Because there was an attack on my facility. No one was here, thankfully, but they attacked my creation. I need a suit to protect it."

"What is its power?" Tony asked.

"It's psychic." Hudson admitted.

"Why didn't it just meddle with their minds, then?"

"The attackers were Mutants. They attacked and tried to kill my creation because it was born unnaturally. Grown in a lab run by humans. They had members who can neutralize psychic powers. Another induced a heart attack. Thankfully, the night janitor arrived just in time to alert us to the attack." _This is just too perfect!_

Tony remained thoughtful. Mutants were known to go on the offense if they felt threatened. But they were now getting off tangent.

"So, you want a custom-built suit?"

"Yes. One that can withstand physical attacks. Mental defenses would also be a plus." Hudson said.

"I think I have the solution." Tony said. "There's a special kind of suit I've been developing for our military. It's designed to fit any kind of body type. A one-size-fits-all kind of deal. I'll bring it over."

"Excellent. How soon can you be here?" Hudson said.

"As soon as I can get my jet ready." Tony said. With that, he hung up.

Hudson cradled his phone and pressed his fingertips together.

_That worked out better than I expected._ He thought, grinning.

-X-

Blaine made his way down to the ground floor in the elevator; keys in one hand and cane in the other. A mixture of emotions rolled through him. Only two were the most prominent in his mind; joy and sorrow. Hate also had a place as did fear. The entire ride down to the garage lot gave Blaine time to sort them out and why he was feeling them.

He was joyful because he no longer belonged to HGC. He could now do what he liked when he liked. Perhaps he would continue his own research into mutations. Harmless research, of course—Blaine had a great deal of respect for Mutants. Certainly, he was nearing retirement age, but Blaine loved his line of work. Which was why he agreed to do Project 48.

He was sad because MewTwo's only chance of surviving Hudson's vile scheme was gone. None of the other lab workers would understand it like he did. Now that his employment had ended, Blaine was sure one of the other higher up techs would take his place. Like Dr. Dan Fuji.

Blaine shuddered at that realization. Dr. Fuji. That man was a nut—less sane than Dr. Hudson. Not to mention, while he was very knowledgeable about DNA, his degree from Tennessee State University was questionable—Dr. Hudson had a lot of shady individuals on his payroll. Fuji did mediocre work at best . . . and he "helped" with Project 48. Fuji and Hudson shared similar visions about 48. Blaine just wanted it to work, which led to the third emotion: Hate.

Indeed, Blaine felt hate. Hate toward his former employer and his underlings. Both had never truly been interested in the project or Blaine's work. They were only interested in making a Mutant, finding ways to make 48 work, and controlling the result. While the chemical had been Hudson's idea, it was Fuji who developed it and injected it into the fetus when Blaine wasn't looking. Blaine knew Hudson was a control freak, but it was after he found out about the plaqueride that he called just how controlling Hudson was. And just how deep in Fuji's pocket Hudson's hand was. That was where the fear came in.

Ah yes. The fear. It was a fear he often felt. The fear that his brainchild would be used for evil purposes. It had to be frightened—or will be frightened when it wakes up and realizes he isn't there to protect it. Blaine had no doubt Fuji would waste no time trying to get it under Hudson's control. That was something to be afraid of. Hudson would use it as an assassin. He would probably mark the X-Men for assassination first.

Movement out of the corner of Blaine's eye caught his attention. He stopped and looked; meeting the gaze of a girl in dirty coveralls and old shirt. A ratty teddy bear clenched in her over-sized fist. Her pale eyes sad.

Blaine smiled, wondering how the little girl got into the building's private parking garage where his black Mitsubishi was now parked. He loved kids, fascinated by their size and their curiosity of the world around them. But the parking garage at HGC was hardly a playground. Hudson had neither the time nor the patience for children.

"Hello." Blaine said, gently.

No response. The girl just looked at him.

"Are you lost?"

A head shake.

"Is your family around?"

A nod.

"Let's go find them, then." Blaine said, opening his passenger-side door and beckoning the girl to hop in.

She approached and touched Blaine's hand. The next thing Blaine saw was blackness.

-X-

"You wanted to see me, Dr. Hudson?" the thin voice of an underweight scientist caught Hudson's attention.

The power-hungry tyrant looked up, noting the younger gentleman's strange haircut, low-prescription glasses, and professional attire. Hudson smiled.

"Dr. Fuji, I hope to find you well." He said, rising with his arm spread out wide as though to receive an old friend.

Dan Fuji was a sprightly forty-something year old man who found few fears in life. But when in the presence of the man who had the power to fire him and make sure he never found another job as a geneticist, Fuji knew the meaning of fear. And he knew it well. He straightened his tie and strode purposefully to the vacant seat in front of Hudson's desk.

"You find me well, indeed. Yourself?" Fuji said, plastering a smile on his features.

"Oh fine. Just fine. Especially now that MewTwo is back where it belongs." Hudson said.

Suddenly, Fuji's interest was piqued. "MewTwo? You mean . . . it's back in the lab right now?"

"Well, actually, it's back in the medical bay. It appears your invention of the plaqueride injection did its job. It has been rendered unstable and is currently on an angioplasty."

"Oh, this is wonderful news! MewTwo has been returned to is proper place! And my own research on plaque in the cardiovascular system worked! Thank you for telling me this, Dr. Hudson!" said Fuji.

"No problem." Hudson said. "In fact, I have even better news. I am advancing your security on 48. You are now head-technician on the project."

Fuji smiled with delight before realizing something. "Dr. Hudson, with all due respect, Dr. Calhoon was head-technician on this for a while. Why are you advancing me now?"

Hudson had been playing with a fountain pen while he discussed re-initiating 48. He had expected this question and had prepared a response. "Dr. Calhoon's personal feelings regarding this project has made him no longer necessary to my company. He believed that our cultural ethics overrode company policy. I had to let him go. Therefore, you have now been promoted. Congratulations."

Fuji's excitement returned. His research could now continue. It was about time he came ahead of the upstart Dr. Blaine Calhoon.

"Thank you, sir. I shall do my best to assist you with your endeavors." he said.

"Good. Your first task is to inject MewTwo with half of the vaccine and remove the angioplasty from its left leg. Your second . . . stand by with plan-M."

Fuji's smile widened to a sickening smirk. He knew about plan-M. He knew all about fluid used on Mutants to make them behave. He never thought twice about using it on MewTwo.

"Will do, sir." he said.

Hudson waved a meaty hand, dismissing Fuji. No sooner had the giddy scientist left, than Hudson relaxed in his chair.

"Are you going to come out of those shadows or not, Sabertooth?" he asked.

The hulking Mutant who had been Hudson's trusted bodyguard moved out of the dark corner where he had been observing the two conversations in silence. Hudson had managed to get Sabertooth back under control due to a lot of bribing, as well as meaningful verbal threats about using the mind control serum on him.

"I've been watching Blaine since he left. Was it wise to let a man with such valuable information get away like that? What if he went to the X-Men and told them what you're planning?"

Hudson didn't want to say he'd already thought of that. However, he was certain it wouldn't even matter anyway. By the time the Mutant scum appeared to take MewTwo away, it would be too late. MewTwo would already be under his control and not even "Professor" Charles Xavier could stop it.

"Don't worry, Sabertooth. Everything is going as planned." Hudson said.

"I don't see how. Those X-Men are well organized. Taking one of their own will only fan the flames. They'll come for it." Sabertooth said.

"You're forgetting one thing, Sabertooth. Mystique had paid a visit to the mansion as Dr. Moira MacTaggert. They believe Moira has MewTwo. Trusting as they are, not even the Professor would think to read her mind. Nor would he suspect MewTwo isn't where she says it is." Hudson said. "Mystique took Moira MacTaggert's form because I'm sure Dr. MacTaggert had been with the X-Men during MewTwo's heart attack. You did see her leave the mansion, didn't you?"

"I suppose I did." Sabertooth said.

"What are you worried about, then?"

"I'm not worried. I just don't think you should've let Blaine leave."

"Fine. Go find Blaine and do what you like with him. Just don't bother me with the trivial details of your beliefs." Hudson snapped.

Sabertooth let out a growl, then swept out of the room.

Hudson faced the plate-glass window, feeling vindicated in his decision. Sabertooth was quite the animal. Difficult to control and easily satisfied with lots of money. Despite the promises and threats Hudson made, Sabertooth was starting to become unmanageable. Hudson couldn't have unmanageable people on his payroll—even if he was dealing under the table in regards to Sabertooth's pay.

_Something has to be done about him._ Hudson thought. _Perhaps the serum_ is _the best option for him._

"Dr. Hudson. Mr. Stark has just arrived." came the call over the intercom.

"Thank you, Miss Salone." Hudson said, facing the door.


	9. Powers Beyond Your Control

_Chapter Nine. You've probably been waiting for this one, haven't you? Well, I'm sorry. MewTwo disappeared after viewing a future chapter in my head. She does not like. You'll see why later. Or, you can like me on facebook and read it in a note. Trust me, you may need a bucket. Aside from my character disappearing, I've just been having problems off and on with this chapter.  
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_The page, btw, is Tari J Deiter.  
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_Disclaimer: I don't own either X-Men or MewTwo. If you haven't heard of a person or thing, assume it's mine.  
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><p>Chapter Nine<br>Powers Beyond Your Control

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><p>Xavier watched the ambulance leave from the balcony off his bedroom. He hadn't moved from that spot since hearing that MewTwo was being moved to a facility with more technology and a staff that was better equipped to help her.<p>

Xavier sighed. He was glad the surgery went well, with few complications. He had barely slept knowing MewTwo was laying on an operating table two floors below him. For about two and a half hours, he tossed and turned in bed until Hank came to tell him the surgery went well; he explained the procedures and how they went. Xavier thanked Hank for the update and telepathically sent messages to the other restless students, leaving out the fact MewTwo was still on an angioplasty.

Over time since MewTwo came to live with them, Xavier had gotten a little funny about who got to deal with MewTwo. Her sketchy past made Xavier afraid that t other people would try running inhumane tests on her. It wasn't that he didn't trust Moira. He didn't trust the facility MewTwo was going to. And he thought it was odd the facility's head didn't come to meet his new patient. And while MewTwo was under Hank McCoy's care, Xavier had to wonder if maybe—just maybe-the choice to give MewTwo to a special clinic was even a good choice.

Moira had vanished since making the call. Even searching for her with his mind proved fruitless. Xavier saw her once by the gate letting the ambulance in but after the vehicle made its way up the drive, Moira was gone; the gate still open.

The EMT's entered the building and were led downstairs to the infirmary. There, Beast and Jean oversaw the entire transition, but the EMT's insisted doing most of the work. They attached sensors to portable blood pressure and heart rate monitors, put a breathing mask over her face, and encased her neck in a brace. A new IV bag was attached and she was wrapped in a quilt to keep her body at a consistent temperature. After a backboard was velcroed to her, one of the EMT's checked her vitals by lifting one eyelid..

"How many times did you sedate it?" he asked.

"Only once during surgery." Beast said. "We used Propofol."

"And it's still asleep?" said the tech.

"Yes, actually." Beast answered. He didn't like that the EMT was using neutral pronouns.

"Her reaction to Propofol was stronger than we expected." Jean said. "She'll wake up once it's worn off."

"Okay. Would you suggest a sedative?"

"No. Just keep her clean and comfortable." Beast said.

The two mutants watched as the EMT's lifted MewTwo onto the gurney; being extra careful not to disturb the settings on the angioplasty machine or jar the chest tubes. Then, they pushed the gurney out of the room, into the elevator, and out the front stoop. Once MewTwo was loaded for transport, they were gone; lights and siren blaring.

Xavier rubbed his eyes, wondering why he suddenly felt so wrong about this.

-X-

The entire flight from Malibu, California to Boston, Massachusetts was longer than Pepper Potts originally anticipated. She sat in the deluxe chair opposite her boss who was whistling a tune while he tapped a foot on the floor. The suitcase containing his MACH-7 at his right and the case containing the MACH-8 suit at his left.

Pepper stared at those suits a moment, feeling disgusted with both herself and Tony for even agreeing to sell the new suit to a low-life like Niles Julius Hudson. She was anxious to see this Mutant Hudson said he grew in his lab and see if it really was a product of his design, or a poor creature abducted from it's own life to serve his. The options sent a tremor down Pepper's spine. She looked at Tony, wondering how he felt about this. So far, he seemed rather relaxed by this.

Pepper returned to reading her book, but she was so on edge that she couldn't concentrate on the words. She slapped the novel across her knee.

"How do you do it, Tony?" she said, jumping to her feet.

"Do what?" Tony asked, looking through his designer sunglasses at her.

"How an you be so calm about this? You're going to be selling your MACH-8 suit to Hudson! Niles Hudson! It's on secret you detest him, so why would you sell it to him?"

"Because he had an interesting proposal." Tony said. "A Mutant-body-type, Pepper! Look, I've calibrated the MACH-8 to fit most body-types. But a Mutant one is a step up. These could be some new application to this. Besides, who's to say it will work?"

"Tony, please, think about what you're doing. Niles Hudson has a Mutant. He's a depraved human being with a vendetta against Mutants. God only knows what he's going to do with it."

"Pepper! Relax! When we're done there, we'll go talk to Professor Xavier. Maybe he'll know how to put a stop to this."

Pepper felt marginally better. Professor Xavier would know what to do. She hoped.

-X-

Dr. Dan Fuji was practically humming a happy tune as he snapped on a pair of gloves in preparation of taking out his patient's chest tubes and the angioplasty. The patient in question was still fast asleep under the influence of a low-level sedative.

The angioplasty was easier to take out than the pair of chest tubes. Fuji did it with the assistance of another doctor and a nurse practitioner. The NP held an ultrasound probe over Forty-eight's heart to provide Fuji with a clear view while he eased the catheter out. Once the balloon was free, Fuji disconnected it and threw it away in a bio-hazard bucket while Dr. Sams applied a pressure bandage to the spot—even though the hole was small, it was still stuck through a major artery; suck holes were known for bleeding profusely. Next, they moved on to the chest tubes.

The NP replaced the fluid bag only a few hours ago. Aside from a tiny dribble in the bottom corner, Fuji quickly decided Forty-eight was finished draining out.

He peeled back the two layers of bandages, then carefully moved the tubes to check looseness before gently sliding the tubes out of Forty-Eight's chest cavity. There was some bleeding, but not enough for Fuji to worry. They taped a new patch over he two holes and cleaned up the bio-hazardous material. Then, Fuji ordered everyone else out. Once the room was empty, Fuji opened a pharmaceuticals-only refrigerator, took out a bottle labeled PLAQUERIDE VACCINE, measured out a quarter of a cubic-centimeter into a syringe, and injected it into Forty-eight's IV line.

Forty-eight stirred and its purple eyes blinked open. The centered on Fuji and it's hand came up to touch his wrist; exposed flesh visible between the glove and his lab coat.

"_What did you just give to me?"_

The telepathic touch of Forty-eight's "voice" startled Fuji. He heard it was telepathic—or rather that it preferred to speak to the mind of every individual it came across. But hearing and seeing things for yourself were tow different things for Fuji. He threw the syringe away, stripped off his gloves, then sat on a stool.

"That was just a taste of what you can expect in the future if you decide to work under Dr. Hudson." Fuji said.

Forty-eight's eyes narrowed to mere slits. _"I can't. I know what he wants me to do and I won't do it."_ it said.

Fuji was not known for being patient. Nor did he have a very long fuse. The fact Forty-eight was denying its rightful place as Hudson's assassin upset him. It wasn't like it was doing anything useful with the X-Men! Xavier wasn't using it to its full potential—not like Hudson could.

Fuji folded his hands in his lap and tried to keep himself from lashing out. "I don't think you understand, Forty-eight. If you agree to serve Dr. Hudson, we can make you well again. All you have to do is say yes."

"_My name is MewTwo."_ Forty-eight said in response to his use of its number. _"And I won't do anything Hudson wants me to do. I would rather die than submit."_

Fuji removed his glasses to rub his eyes, then placed them back on his nose. He sighed, disappointment showing on his thin features.

"You really should have accept, Forty-eight. It would have been much simpler." he said.

Forty-eight frowned, suddenly aware of the mental block he had formed. He was being careful about his thoughts around Forty-eight. But his words suggested something else. Fuji's posture only added to Forty-eight's sudden fear.

"_You—you can't!" _it suddenly said. It started to sit up and Fuji rose off his stool.

"GUARDS!" he shouted.

A team of armed personnel entered the room. They grabbed Forty-eight and forced it flat on its belly. Its struggled against them; sending stabbing pains through their minds until Fuji ended it by encasing its skull in a neural inhibitor—a device designed by Colonel Stryker to keep psychics out of everyone's head. The pains stopped and Forty-eight was a shaking mass on the bed. The guards never loosened their hold on it.

Fuji opened the refrigerator again and took out a small cylinder that contained an eye-dropper full of liquid. He squeezed between two guards and held the dropper over the base of Forty-eight's skull; placing only a few drops right on the spot. After thirty seconds had passed, Forty-eight's struggles had ceased.

Through there were tears in its eyes as it thought about all the people it was going to kill.

-X-

The shelf beneath Blaine's back was hard and uncomfortable. That that was nothing compared to the pain in his head. His entire skull was throbbing and he was dizzy. He sat up, slowly, but even the smallest of movements sent a new wave of pain through his brain.

"I would just lie still if I were you."

The white, transparent face of a lithe man swam into Blaine's vision. His face resembled that of a skull—nose-less, smooth, hairless. His light eyes stood out on his deathly-white face. He wore a long-sleeve, v-neck shirt that stretched over his body in a way that suggested a build, and jeans that hung off his hips. The word "Mutant" flashed through Blaine's mind.

"Who are you? Where am I?" Blaine asked.

"You are with the Morlocks." said the Mutant. "My name is Calaban."

"What happened?"

"Torpid has a unique gift. She can induce unconsciousness just by touching you. She brought you here because I wanted to talk to you."

"About what?"

"Project 48."

Blaine's brain cleared out enough for him to concentrate on what Calaban was saying. He sat up, leaning against the wall behind him.

"MewTwo? What about it?" he asked.

"We know MewTwo is a genetically engineered lab rat. I've been keeping track of it since its birth. I was afraid I would have to step in and stop it before it became an abomination. But it was being raised by the X-Men—by Professor Xavier. There was no reason for us to interfere because Xavier kept it out of trouble."

Blaine nodded in understanding. Personally, he thought MewTwo was better off with the X-Men, too. A fact Hudson refused to accept because of a property claim he seemed to have on MewTwo.

"So, why are you so nervous about it now?" Blaine asked. He was sure he already knew the answer to that, but he was allowing Calaban ta chance to explain.

"I only knew it was a matter of time before something changed in MewTwo. Before some evil being—whether Human or Mutant—would come for it." Calaban let out a deep, morose sigh. "You should not have made Project 48, Dr. Calhoon. You should have left the dead alone. No good can come out of its existence."

"Look, I hadn't meant for MewTwo to turn out this way. I wanted the project to work—I wanted it to succeed.. Yes, I knew what Hudson wanted to do with it, so I was planning on running off with it. I was going to raise it or give it to the X-Men. But I didn't want Hudson to have it."

"Yes, Blaine. We already know that. We also know that you have a great deal of respect for our kind."

"Then what do you want from me?" Blaine said. "I don't work at HGC anymore so I don't have access to MewTwo. I already tried to stop Hudson but he is beyond reasoning. Unless if you plan to confront MewTwo or Hudson to stop this madness, there's really nothing I can do."

"We cannot confront MewTwo, our powers are nothing compared to it's psychic might. We are a band of low-level Mutants. Even together, we are no match for it."

"That only brings me back to my last question. What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to go to the x-Men. Tell them about mewTwo. Warn them. They'll know what to do." Calaban said.

Blaine nodded. "I was actually planning on doing that." he said.

Calaban nodded too. "Good." He made a gesture with his hand. "Callisto will take you out of Morlock territory. You're only chore after that would be finding the X-men."

A woman wearing a black tank top and army fatigues stepped out of the shadows. Her waist-length black hair was lose and a black eye patch barely disguised a scar. She grabbed Blaine beneath the arm and hauled him upright, pulling him after her down the drains. Blaine allowed the roughness for a while before he swung his arm out of Callisto's grasp. Callisto ignored him.

They walked in silence while Blaine stared at Callisto; trying to figure out what her powers could possibly be. He was so absorbed with his own thoughts that he hadn't even noticed the sounds of the sewer.

Until the sounds were broken by screaming.

-X-

Tracking Blaine had proved much easier than Sabertooth had anticipated. But then, it was lost among a myriad of other smells when Sabertooth came to the parking garage. Blaine's Mitsubishi was there, but Blaine wasn't. Sabertooth knew that Blaine was missing. And he knew who had taken him.

The Morlocks.

A band of underground wretches never came up without need. Sabertooth had always wanted to obliterate them for good. Now seemed as good a time as any.

He cracked his knuckles and flexed his limbs. Then, tracked the scents to the sewers There, the smells became much harder to trace, but he managed. And he made his way down the pipes until he saw someone.

"Can I help you?" the skull-faced Mutant asked, his voice just barely above a whispers.

"Yeah. You can tell me if a Human was down here." Sabertooth said, roughly.

"A Human?" the Mutant cocked his hairless head at Sabertooth. "There are no Humans here. They don't come here."

"I guess it's the hard way, then." Sabertooth said.

His hand snaked out, grabbing Calaban by the throat. Calaban struggled to get free but Sabertooth was much too strong. The other Morlocks, seeing their leader was in trouble, leaped in to help. Sabertooth's thirst for blood was suddenly aroused and he attacked viciously and without mercy.

-X-

"Whoa! It's so cold in here, I almost had to restart my pacemaker!"

"You don't have a pacemaker, Tony."

"Shh, not outloud."

Hudson pursed his lips at Tony Stark's obvious attempt at humor. Quite frankly, Hudson didn't find Mr. Stark funny, nor did he care for his company either for that matter. But what got him more than the joke was the fact Pepper was able to gently reprimand him. As well as her ability to call him by his first name instead of Mr. Stark like receptionists and assistants should. She spoke to him as an equal and not as his underling. _Completely disrespectful._ He thought, scornfully.

The three of them stood in the lower-level infirmary along with Dr. Fuji, looking down at a completely unconscious MewTwo. Tony raised a hand and placed it to his lips as he eyed the Mutant in front of him. He had to admit, it was an impressive creature, though not much to look at. He pointed to the small hands.

"I bet it would have been useful when I needed to change my Arc Reactor." he said.

"Tony, don't." Pepper said again in a voice the continued to rankle Hudson.

"Well, you said 'never again' and 'find someone else'. Look at these hands. They're so petite . . . so dainty. I actually think they're smaller than yours." Tony said, unrepentant.

"If you don't mind, I would like to get back to business." Hudson said. He had expected for Tony to agree with him, but he was busy admiring MewTwo, casually opening a conversation with Dr. Fuji.

"So, it had a heart attack." Tony said.

"Yes." said Dr. Fuji, changing the bandages on MewTwo's chest.

"How long did it take you to solve the problem?"

"A few hours. We had to do an angioplasty and a coronary artery bypass."

"I see. And you were able to take off the angioplasty already?"

"It has remarkable healing powers. Not near as remarkable as that of a healing factor, but still plenty amazing."

Tony nodded. He still suspected something else involved. That MewTwo's healing ability wasn't natural to it at all. _What could it be?_

"Mr. Stark? The suit?" Hudson said, impatiently; standing behind the infirmary desk.

"Sure." Tony said. "Pepper."

Pepper set the suitcase on the desk, turned it so the latch faced Hudson, then expertly opened the case. Hudson stared at the "Prize" Tony had presented him with; slightly disappointed. He had expected a suit, but Tony was selling him something that looked less like a suit and more like a big, metal bracelet. There was a knob for adjusting size and a button.

Hudson locked gazes with Tony and raised an eyebrow. "You're kidding, right?"

"Don't hate it until you know what it does." Tony said. He lifted the bracelet out of the foam supports and handed it to Pepper who put it on. "State of the art technology. It's the same stuff that works in my Iron Man suits . . . only cooler.

"This bracelet contains sensors that pick up your body type by scanning your DNA code."

Pepper touched the button and the bracelet unfolded into several flexible plates that conformed neatly with her body1. Once it was finished, Pepper looked like a female version of Iron Man. And she looked powerful.

"Completely indestructible. A rocket can't even penetrate it, much less a cannonball. There's no weapons on it though. Like I said, I designed it for our military. It's just for protection, not offensive." Tony said.

"That's fine." Hudson said. "But, will it work on MewTwo?"

Pepper tapped the button, again, and the suit folded in on itself back into bracelet form. She took it off.

"It should." Tony said. "I configured it to fit any body-type."

"That's good enough for me. Now, will it be protected from physical _and_ mental attacks?"

"It's design based off my own suits. According to Professor Xavier, it's difficult to read my mind when I'm wearing the suit."

"Excellent. Now, about price . . ."

"I'm not taking any less than one-hundred fifty-thousand for it." Tony said, seriously.

"That's a little much, don't you think?" Hudson said.

"Not all. I sell munitions for more than that."

"True. I suppose it's reasonable. Done. My secretary will take care of the rest." Hudson wrote out a payment slip and handed it to Pepper. Then, with a wave of his hand, he dismissed his two guests.

As Tony and pepper went down the stairs to the lobby, Pepper began whispering secretively to her boss.

"What do you think?"

"I don't think he wants to suit for just protection. It's possible he wants it for something else."

"What should we do, then?"

"We should go to Professor Xavier and tell him about this. No doubt, that Mutant _was_ Hudson's, but I'm thinking there's more to the story than what meets the eye."

"I agree with you, Tony." Pepper, said, relieved that he was thinking things through.

-X-

Callisto met Blaine's gaze and he could see the fear. She was afraid. Afraid that her family was now dying. She grabbed Blaine by the back of the shirt and pulled him up the ladder to the surface.

"Go! Get to the nearest train station and don't look back!" she shouted.

"But, Callisto—" he said.

"Get out of here!" she shrieked. She ran back toward the Morlock's hiding place before he could protest, but not before she hung his cane on his arm.

Blaine watched her a minute. He knew he could do anything to help because he wasn't a Mutant. He still felt sad—angry even—that he could do nothing to help them. He quickly took Calliso's advice and went up the ladder to the surface. Ten, he ran as quickly as his crippled leg would allow.

He rushed across several intersections to the subway. His hand plunging into the pocket of his trousers in search of money. But, before he made it to the subway, a car screeched to a stop just inches from his damaged leg.

A woman leaned out of the car window. "What where you're going!" she yelled.

"I'm sorry." Blaine told her. "I had to get to the subway. It's important."

The woman stared at him. "What is" she asked. "Where are you headed."

"Look, I can't explain it all, but I have to get to Westchester, New York. I need to see Professor Xavier as soon as possible." Blaine said.

"Professor Xavier of the X-Men?" the woman said and Blaine nodded. "We're headed there ourselves. Get in."

Blaine hesitated. He couldn't afford to wast any more time. The sooner MewTwo was retrieved, the better. He hopped into the little, black car car and was surprised to find himself face to face with Tony Stark and Virginia "Pepper" Potts.

Tony leaned forward, moving his glasses down this nose to peer at Blaine. "Now that we're taking you to your destination, I'd say you owe us an explanation."

-X-

Meanwhile, back at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, Xavier was becoming increasingly anxious. Nothing felt right about MewTwo's relocation to a lab. Moira had disappeared altogether and there were no calls to indicate whether or not MewTwo was doing any better. He simply couldn't shake the feeling that she was in trouble.

"Professor, Tony Stark would like to see you." Ororo said.

Xavier turned to Storm. "Tony Stark? What's he doing here?"

Storm shrugged. Judging by her mind, she didn't know. Xavier sighed and rolled his chair out of the office and down into the parlor. There, he saw Tony, Pepper, and an aged man sitting on the couch. Xavier eyed all three.

"Tony." Xavier said.?""How are you?"

"How about if we skip the pleasantries, Professor, and prove straight to the reasons why I'm here?" Tony suggest.

Xaver steepled his fingers. "Very well." he said. "What is this about?"

Tony was never speechless. "Look, Niles Hudson has a Mutant. He claims it is a very power Mutant with extraordinary psychic abilities. He also claimed he raised it in the lab. Or rather that he grew it in his lab in a test tube."

Xavier's heart skipped a few beats as he read the image in Tony's mind. The Mutant he spoke of was, unmistakably, MewTwo.

"No! How did he—" Xavier began.

"How did he what, Professor?" asked Scott. "What's going on?"

Jean knew. "Hudson has MewTwo." she said.

"Yes." said the old man. "We had Mystique infiltrate the institute as a close friend to retrieve it."

"Her." Beast corrected.

The man blinked. "I didn't know MewTwo has a gender."

"And what do you know about this?" asked Wolverine.

Xavier answered for the man. "Because he is Dr. Blaine Calhoon. And he was head researcher on the project that made MewTwo."

Blaine barely had time to duck before Wolverine came at him, claws drawn.

1Okay, I had a little bit of trouble trying to put this into words so let's try this for a visual. Think about the Omnitrix in Ben 10. That's essentially how it works. However, the end product is not an alien, but looks like Iron Man.


	10. Game On

_Chapter Ten. I know, I know. It's been about two months since I last posted a chapter for SBM and considering last chapter was a cliffhanger, I have to apologize. however, i have a good excuse. I've been working on other stories and I've been having trouble writing this particular story.  
><em>

_Disclaimer: I don't own either X-Men or MewTwo. If you haven't heard of a person or thing, assume it's mine.  
><em>

* * *

><p>Chapter Ten<br>Game On

* * *

><p>Hudson was not happy. Earlier in the day, he had been. MewTwo was back where it belonged and despite the struggle that ensued before MewTwo's eventual succumbing, the potion worked like a charm. MewTwo would do exactly what it was told. Any qualms it had about killing Mutants had now diminished. For that, Hudson couldn't be happier.<p>

What he wasn't happy about was the announcement of bad news. Two pieces of bad news, in fact. The first being that Sabertooth, with all his arrogantly-spoken of heightened sense, had lost Blaine Calhoon in the sewers. Blaine was little more than a nuisance now in Hudson' mind, but the fact Sabertooth lost him at all was more of an annoyance. But, at least Sabertooth wasn't around.

The second piece of bad news was Colonel Stryker's request to come to HGC and see MewTwo for himself. Hudson was completely aware that Stryker wanted to see MewTwo because he planned to take it from him. Hudson tried to dissuade Stryker from coming; giving him every business reason under the sun why Stryker couldn't come. But Striker was no fool. He continued offering solutions to Hudson's problems before telling Hudson he _was_ coming regardless; making his request a demand.

Hudson grumbled beneath his breath. He didn't want Stryker here. No good could come from the Colonel's visit. They both would be fighting for possession of the Mutant in Hudson's lab. No doubt, Stryker would produce a court order telling Hudson to turn MewTwo over to him. Then, what it could do would be completely under Stryker's control. True, MewTwo was an interesting specimen, but now there were far too many interested parties.

MewTwo was now sitting on the examination table. Its facial expressions relaxed as it eyes held no sign that it was being controlled. Hudson watched it as Fuji walked around the table, performing a checkup. Despite having gone through a heart attack and open heart surgery, it seemed to be doing fine. Fuji's Plaqueride virus and antidote seemed to be doing the trick.

Nearby, a few techs were busy making a mesh material to protect MewTwo while it was inside the suit. The mesh material was fairly easy to produce, but they were fighting to make it fight to its body. To conform to its shape. This was yet another thing on Hudson's expanding list of annoyances.

Hudson frowned. The techs were working hard to produce the protective layer. And, as much as he wanted them to work faster, there were other things to be taken care of. The first of which was ensuring that MewTwo remained _his_ property and _his_ alone. Stryker would never get it if Hudson had any say about it.

"Dr. Hudson, sir, Colonel Stryker has arrived." said Miss Salone.

_And so it begins._ Hudson thought, sourly.

He faced his secretary—a petite, young, strawberry-blonde with an Associate's Degree in business management. He noticed she was very pretty. Her green eyes were always watching him with a certain amount of fondness and admiration. He knew she liked him—the look was there in her eyes—but he continued to ignore her. All he did was wave her off.

"Thank you, Miss Salone." he said, breezing past her to the company lobby.

She followed him down and swiftly returned to her place at the front door. Colonel Stryker was sitting in the semi-comfortable plastic chair. Next to him was Sylvester Perroni and a severe-looking woman carrying a satchel across one shoulder. The Colonel and his followers rose an Hudson shook hands with them just to be civil, but in all actuality he wanted to get this over with.

"Shall we take this to my office?" Hudson asked.

"Good idea." Stryker agreed.

The four of them headed up to the top floor of the building. There, Hudson locked the door before sitting in his chair. Stryker quickly started business without delay.

"You know why I'm here?" Stryker said.

"To see MewTwo in action." Hudson said.

"Correct." Stryker said. "But that's not all."

_Here it comes._ Hudson thought.

The woman stood up and opened her satchel. From its depths came a sheet of paper which she lay on the table. Hudson had only to glance at it to know that it was a court order. He picked up a few pieces here and there but that was enough. He knew precisely what it said.

**Dear Dr. Niles J. Hudson.  
>Due to the events that transpired prior to your arrest, the court has, hereby, decided that you should not be in possession of any research on genetic experimentation. You are, hereby, ordered to turn all references to the entity known as "Project Forty-Eight" over to Colonel William Stryker. Surrendering those files must take place immediately after you have received this notice.<br>Signed,  
>Olivia Bell, Secretary of Courts.<strong>

Hudson glowered at the woman. "Olivia Bell, I presume." he said, darkly.

"You assume correct." Olivia answered, smartly.

"And, you just expect me to _hand_ MewTwo and my data over to you just like that?" Hudson said, snapping his fingers with a touch of humor to his voice.

"I didn't really expect you to do anything of the sort." Stryker said.

Hudson pushed the page off his desk with a flick of his hand. "And I won't. MewTwo is _mine_! It belongs to _me_! It exists because _I_ made it. Your claim is invalid."

"This is a court order." Olivia said, moving the page back onto Hudson's desk. "Choosing not to obey would result in imprisonment and severe fines and penalties. Then, your efforts of keeping Project Forty-Eight to yourself would all be in vain because it will become the Colonel's property."

"What you don't seem to understand is that MewTwo is _mine_. I will decide when I want to give it up and I will give it up when I have no more use for it." Hudson snapped.

"Relax, Dr. Hudson." Sylvester said. "It's not an official notice, yet. Merely a precaution. Olivia, here, is merely present for assuraty's sake."

"Assuraty's sake?" Hudson snapped.

The meeting was quickly spiraling out of his control. Stryker was being a fiendish bastard; tying his hands so he had no control. Hudson knew Stryker had meant to take MewTwo. He had suspected that much since the very beginning. Of course, MewTwo would make the perfect weapon for the military. A silent killer. It had only to reach out with its mind and kill all who opposed it. But Hudson still wanted it—_needed_ it—here. He needed it to destroy all Mutants in the world because such abominations should never exist.

Sylvester seemed to realize he was making Hudson uncomfortable. He grinned and any gratitude Hudson had toward the promising lawyer was now gone; replaced with hatred. He knew Sylvester had been hired by Stryker so none of this should have surprised him. But it still annoyed him to no end that the lawyer who had worked so hard to get him out of jail would turn against him and aid Stryker in getting MewTwo. If Stryker wanted it so bad, why didn't he just get it himself? Surely he had the means and the resources necessary to capture it himself?

"_Assuraty's_ sake?" Hudson repeated, darkly. Somehow, he didn't think that was the case.

"Yes. Assuraty's sake." Sylvester said. "As you can see, there are six spaces at he bottom of the page. Olivia and Judge Counterman's signatures are the only ones there at the moment. We only need yours, mine, Colonel Stryker's, and the head researcher on your payroll."

"I refuse to sign it." Hudson said, harshly.

"You won't have to, if the Colonel isn't satisfied by Project Forty-Eight's abilities. If he approves, you'll have no choice but to turn MewTwo over to us." Sylvester explained.

Hudson suddenly found himself at an impasse. He hated moments such as this when he couldn't weasel his way out. Neither individual was interested in looking the other way, and, therefore, couldn't be paid to look the other way. Besides, Stryker wanted only one thing: MewTwo. It was said that when he wanted something, he would fight very hard to get it.

"MewTwo belongs _here_ with _me_." Hudson growled.

"Dr. Hudson, what could you _possibly_ want with it?" Olivia asked. "It's a science experiment with abilities more suited to military life. It would be more useful in that lifestyle then as a test subject."

"I have my reasons for wanting to keep it." Hudson said. "None of those reasons are any of your business."

"I beg to differ, Dr. Hudson." Olivia said. "The fact you are refusing to answer my question is proof that you shouldn't have it."

"Unless if Colonel Stryker should decide he doesn't want it?" Hudson asked.

"Yes. Unless if that takes place." Olivia said.

"Which is the second reason why I'm here." said the Colonel, who had been fairly silent throughout the exchange. "I want to see MewTwo's powers in action. A simple test to determine it's range and precision."

"Sounds reasonable." Hudson said. "What should the test be?"

"Mutant hunting." Stryker said.

It was no surprise Stryker viewed Mutants with as much disdain as Hudson. What surprised Hudson, however, was that Olivia didn't seem to mind that they were even plotting this. He wondered if she was corrupt or if Stryker was paying her enough to look the other way.

Hudson thought about Stryker's proposition. "I'll agree to that. I'm just as interested in seeing MewTwo perform against Mutants as you."

"It's agreed, then. Mutant hunting. But, where should we send it?" Sylvester said.

"_Dr. Hudson, Professor Xavier is here with his students."_ said Miss Salone over the intercom.

"Thank you, Miss Salone." Hudson said.

He exchanged glances with Stryker. Both were thinking the same thing. MewTwo vs the X-Men? A wonderful test indeed!

-X-

Wolverine was in mid-air when Colossus' metal arm seized him around the middle and threw him into the wall. Wolverine was quickly on his feet once more and dashing across the room toward Blaine. Colossus and Cyclops quickly seized him once more. Wolverine snarled like a wild animal, reaching for Blaine with his extended claws.

"ENOUGH!"

Everyone froze at the sound of Xavier's physical and mental voice and the fighting stopped. Xavier regarded them severely, before returning his attention to the crippled human still cowering on the couch, then back to his three students.

"Let's hear what Dr. Calhoon has to say before we condemn him. "Xavier said, keeping his voice calm.

Wolverine shrugged out of the grasps of his holders, then flashed Blaine an I've-got-my-eyes-on-you look. Blaine said nothing to that, turning his gaze down to avoid the intensity of Wolverine's stare. The burly Mutant sat down on the easy chair, but never relaxed.

Xavier cleared his throat. "Now, Dr. Calhoon, please begin."

Blaine eased himself out of the couch and straightened his posture and suit. After clearing his own throat, he began. "My name is Dr. Blaine Calhoon. And, yes, I was responsible for much of MewTwo's creation. And yes, I did work for Dr. Niles Julius Hudson. But, we both had different reasons for creating MewTwo.

"You probably already know Dr. Hudson and his reputation, I presume." Several nods. Blaine continued from there. "Dr. Hudson wanted MewTwo as a weapon. I just wanted the experiment to work. I worked under Dr. Hudson fully-knowing what he wanted _her_ for. But I was making a plan. I decided that when MewTwo was born, I was going to take _her_ far away from here so Dr. Hudson couldn't find us. And I was going to raise _her_ like my own kid.

"None of us ever expected for Dr. Hudson to be found out or the project to be abandoned. They had me turn the machines off—as far as they were concerned, as long as MewTwo was a fetus, _she_ wasn't alive. But, I snuck back in and turned them on. I was making some preparations to take MewTwo with me, but when I went back to the lab to get _her_, _she_ was already gone."

"That's because _I_ found her." Logan grumbled, darkly from his easy chair. "She's been with us ever since."

Blaine nodded. "Thank you. I had many a night contemplating MewTwo's whereabouts and health. I can rest easier knowing _she_ was with you." He sighed. "However, my relief is to be short-lived. MewTwo is now in danger . . . and so are you."

Marrow snorted. "I'm sorry. I get that MewTwo is powerful—I've roomed with her for three years, so I know that much already—but I knew MewTwo. She wouldn't dare attack us. She can't. Unless if this Dr. Hudson has some way to change her mind then—"

"Trust me, he does." Blaine said. "And, if I'm not mistaken, he's probably already used it on her."

"What is it?" Logan asked, sitting forward.

Blaine said nothing. Instead, he let the thoughts surface to the forefront of his mind, knowing full-well that he was in the presence of Professor Xavier and his abilities. Xavier carefully read those thoughts and felt his blood chill.

"How did he get in possession of that?" he asked.

"Get into possession of what, Professor?" Storm asked.

"A mind-control serum." Xavier answered.

Cyclops and Nightcrawler rubbed the backs of their necks. Xavier nodded at their thoughts.

"Yes. The very same."

Cyclops stiffened. "But how did Dr. Hudson get his hands on such a thing? Last I heard, Jason Stryker—the source of the serum—was dead! So was Colonel Stryker for that matter!"

Blaine gave Cyclops a knowing look. "Trust me, my boy, Colonel Stryker is far from dead. Jason, his son, however, is dead. But the Colonel figured out how to replicate the serum and how to make it stronger."

Wolverine jumped up, claws drawn. "And you _let _him give that to her?"

Blaine cowered deep into the couch. "I had no choice. I was fired because Dr. Hudson and I didn't see eye to eye. I knew I wouldn't be able to sneak into the lab and retrieve her. If I could have I would have and I would have taken her far away from there. As it is, I couldn't. So, I did the next best thing. I came to you." Blaine's eyes met Xaviers as he said this and Xavier frowned.

"Me?"

"Yes. You and your students. You raised MewTwo. I figured you could help her. Save her, even. Surely you have the power to make her see reason!" Blaine said.

"I am not in the habit of invading others' privacy, even with my abilities of influence, and reading the minds of others." Xavier answered. Blaine looked crestfallen but Xavier wasn't finished. ""However, seeing as how we have no choice in the matter—what with MewTwo now considered dangerous to any and all Mutants—I will make an exception to this rule. MewTwo must not be allowed to scourge our world. She cannot be allowed to remain under the control of a Mutant-hater."

The room erupted with cheers as everyone began agreeing to this. Xavier waited for silence, then turned back to Blaine.

"Where are they keeping her?"

"Hudson Genetics Corporation. Main branch. In the infirmary." Blaine answered.

Xavier's expression softened. "I don't suppose you would be willing to come with us?"

"With all due respect . . . no." Blaine said. "I am no fighter, only with words. I am a cripple and will not be of any use to you."

"I see. Will you prefer to be informed of the outcome no matter what?" Xavier said.

"If you would be so kind, thank you." Blaine levered himself up with his cane. "I will let you know where my place of residence is in due time and we shall discuss matters later. Good day."

Phoenix followed Blaine out and called for a taxi. While that was taking place, Xavier and his team made plans to rescue MewTwo, suiting up in the process. Tony Stark agreed to come with them as Iron Man and Pepper Potts agreed to stay at the manor to watch the students. Then, with everyone in the X-Jet, they took off toward HGC. A secretary met them in the lobby as the entire team entered the building.

"Can I help you?" the lady, a Miss Diana Salone, politely asked.

"I am Professor Charles Xavier. These are my students. We would like to see Dr. Niles Hudson." Xavier said, equally as polite.

Miss Salone blinked. "Do you have an appointment?" she asked.

"No." Xavier said. He knew full-well that Hudson never had appointments. But he sensed the hesitation in Miss Salone's voice was not due to the lack of appointments, but because there was someone else here. "Please let him know we're here and we would like to speak with him."

"Very well, sir." Miss Salone said. Se sat down and hit the intercom button. "Dr. Hudson, Professor Xavier is here with his students."

"_Thank you, Miss Salone."_ Hudson's voice sounded both surprised and amused. _"Please see them into the main auditorium."_

Miss Salone looked confused. "Main auditorium, sir?" she asked.

"_Yes. The main auditorium. And you are dismissed for the day."_ Hudson said.

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." Miss Salone switched off the intercom, gathered her coat and purse, and left, but not before opening the huge double doors which led to an enormous meeting room. "Dr. Hudson will be with you shortly. He asks that you wait for him here." she added.

"Thank you." Professor Xavier said, wheeling his chair into the room with his students and Iron Man close behind him.

They waited for what seemed like several minutes before an upper-level door opened and four people stepped out onto the balcony. Dr. Hudson at their head.

"Professor Xavier." Hudson said with a most abhorrent grin on his face. "How lovely to see you."

"I do not believe you actually mean that, Dr. Hudson." Xavier said. "And the feeling is not mutual. You know why we're here. We want MewTwo returned to us and we are not leaving until she is."

Hudson seemed astonished. "You make it sound like I stole it from you."

"You did." Xavier said, firmly. "You kidnapped MewTwo from her home. Kidnap being the operative word here because you took her without her consent."

"I respectfully disagree." Hudson said. "MewTwo is _my_ property! It was made it _my_ lab on _my_ property with _my_ money. If it wasn't for _my_ funding, Project Forty-Eight would not exist. How many times do I have to continue to explain this to people?" His face was red now and his eyes blazed.

"What you fail to realise, Niles, is the fact that once MewTwo was born, she ceased being your property and became a free being. We raised her and we would like to have her back." Xavier said.

Hudson's demeanor suddenly changed. An unpleasant smile appeared. "Let me get this straight. You want it returned to you just like that?" He watched as the gathering of people below him nodded. "What if it doesn't want to be returned to you? What if it wants to remain in my service?"

"There's no way MewTwo would _ever_ agree to serve you!" Marrow shouted.

The unpleasant smile widened. "Then let's ask it ourselves, shall we?"

With that, the auditorium doors opened and an armored figure stepped into view.


End file.
